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The European Commission has announced a range of new trade partnerships – the clean trade and investment partnerships (CTIPs) – to bolster the EU's competitiveness, diversify supply chains and boost economies. CTIPs are the latest instrument in the EU's set of trade tools the Commission calls 'alternative forms of engagement', and to which experts also refer as 'trade-related agreements' or 'mini trade deals'. They are meant to complement the EU's vast network of trade agreements through a faster ...

Energy-intensive industries are crucial to the EU economy, enabling numerous strategic value chains. As these industries face significant challenges, including declining competitiveness, the EU is actively developing strategies to support them. During the April plenary session, MEPs will debate future action following a question to the Commission, and vote on a resolution proposing measures to strengthen these industries.

In response to the difficulties and challenges faced by EU farmers in recent years, the Commission put forward a proposal to amend some of the rules on the common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (CMO), so as to reinforce the position of farmers in the food supply chain. The proposed amendments enhance the existing provisions on contracts involving farmers, reinforce the bargaining power of producer organisations, simplify their recognition, and establish an incentive framework ...

During its March plenary session, Parliament is due to debate a European Commission statement on the Critical Medicines Act. The Commission is expected to adopt the proposed regulation – which aims to address the severe shortages of medicines, reduce dependencies relating to critical medicines and ingredients, and ensure the supply of affordable medicines – on 11 March 2025.

The Regulation establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova will provide the country with financing worth almost €1.9 billion for the 2025-2027 period. The Facility aims to invest in Moldova, accelerate its socio-economic reforms, strengthen its resilience, and advance its EU integration. Parliament is scheduled to vote on the agreed text, resulting from interinstitutional negotiations, during its March 2025 plenary session.

The 2019 Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Directive sought to address imbalances in bargaining power between suppliers and buyers of agricultural products. The directive was primarily aimed at protecting farmers, as a weaker party, selling their products to big supermarkets and food processing companies. However, experience has shown that the directive does not always provide a sufficient legal basis for mutual assistance in cross-border investigations. The Commission's proposal for a new regulation ...

This research project by the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) and The Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) for the European Parliament provides an analysis of the various parameters that are likely to have an impact on the objectives and content of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the 2028-2034 funding period.

This research project is delivered by the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) and The Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) for the European Parliament provides an analysis of the various parameters that are likely to have an impact on the objectives and content of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the 2028-2034 funding period. This study comes in two volumes. Volume 1 is the study and Volume 2 is the annexe ...

The European electric vehicle (EV) industry is facing fierce competition from China. The question is what this will mean for the future of European EVs. This paper provides an overview of EU-China competition in this industry and presents four scenarios for the future of European EVs by 2030. Will European EVs survive, thrive or perish in the face of Chinese competition and other challenges?

The EU's ability to boost its competitiveness, become a climate-neutral economy by 2050, sustain the green and digital transition and achieve strategic autonomy depends heavily on access to critical raw materials (CRMs). Key technologies, across all industries, depend on CRMs' unique physical properties. The CRM Act (CRMA), aimed at making the EU's supply of CRMs more secure, resilient and sustainable, entered into force on 23 May 2024. The CRMA lists 34 CRMs, of which 17 are considered 'strategic ...