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This in-depth analysis explores how EU trade policy tools can effectively tackle the import and circulation of forced labour products in the European single market in order to help implement the Commission’s decent work worldwide initiative. The report compares the option of an EU import ban on forced labour goods to the option of prohibiting the marketing of such products, in light of the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market published ...

The European Commission is currently in the process of simplifying and harmonising the rules of origin for EU trade agreements, with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of the latter. Indeed, there is a general perception that the complexity of the rules and their lack of harmonisation across EU trade agreements, together with burdensome certification procedures, may be deterring some business managers from making use of the preferential trade tariffs allowed by the agreements. Rules of origin ...

EU trade policy: Frequently asked questions

In-Depth Analysis 15-10-2019

This paper seeks to serve as a key resource for policy-makers who need to understand complex issues related to international trade quickly. It also outlines the key academic debates and issues, and provides references to further resources that could offer useful support to the work of policy-makers in the European Parliament. It seeks to provide immediate answers to the most commonly asked questions related to EU trade policy: from the evolution and scope of EU common commercial policy to the role ...

Trade defence instruments (TDIs) play a vital role in countering unfair trade practices from third countries and in levelling the playing field for EU companies, notably in times of mounting global overcapacity in a number of sectors. In April 2013, the Commission adopted a proposal to modernise the EU's basic Anti dumping and Anti-subsidy (AD/AS) Regulations. The reform was intended to enhance the transparency and predictability of investigations and increase the effectiveness and enforcement of ...

Protection of human rights is one of the EU's overarching objectives in its external action, in line with the Treaty on European Union. One of the EU's main tools to promote human rights in third countries is the generalised system of preferences (GSP), granting certain developing countries preferential trade access to the EU market. Covering 90 third countries, the scheme includes explicit human rights conditionality, providing that preferences can be withdrawn in case of massive and systematic ...

On 9 November 2016, the European Commission published a proposal for targeted changes to the EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy regulations. The proposal was a response to the expiry of parts of China’s WTO accession protocol in December 2016 and to unfair trade practices from third countries. At the core of the amendments of the anti-dumping regulation was the use for WTO members of prices derived from constructed values in situations where there are ‘substantial market distortions’ in the country ...

Dumping and subsidising of exports by third countries are unfair trade practices, which may cause injury to the importing country. WTO law allows countering such injury by introducing specific duties called trade defence instruments (TDI). To enable EU TDIs to address current circumstances, notably overcapacity, in the international trading environment, the European Commission has proposed to amend the Anti-Dumping (AD) Regulation and Anti-Subsidy (AS) Regulation. The European Parliament is due to ...

Free movement of goods

EU Fact Sheets 01-11-2017

The free movement of goods, the first of the four fundamental freedoms of the internal market, is secured through the elimination of customs duties and quantitative restrictions, and the prohibition of measures having an equivalent effect. The principles of mutual recognition, elimination of physical and technical barriers, and promotion of standardisation were added in order to continue the completion of the internal market. The adoption of the New Legislative Framework (NLF) in 2008 significantly ...

Fish labelling for consumers

At a Glance 12-10-2017

Since the end of 2014, consumers in the European Union (EU) have had access to better information when buying fishery and aquaculture products. Mandatory labels or markings for retail sale of seafood (including some types of processed seafood) must, in particular, include information on both the commercial and the scientific names of the species, whether it has been fished or farmed, the catch area or country of production, and the fishing gear used.

The IA appears to provide a well-researched explanation of the evidence base for the legislative proposal; it clearly explains the scale of the problem, illustrated by facts and figures giving a clear view of the international situation. However, a better, more coherent organisation of the data related to the problem definition, and a broader range of options, would have strengthened the IA. Option 3 is the only viable one to address all the objectives, although – as also indicated by stakeholders ...