"The recent revised offers and the work done so far represent real improvement, but we certainly still need more ambition. The EU is ready to go an additional mile but everyone needs to join if we want to achieve an agreement able to shape the global economy of the 21st century." European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström chaired a meeting on the negotiations for the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) with 22 fellow ministers in Paris earlier last week. The participants discussed...

EU-U.S. negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have been ongoing since July 2013. For the EU, it is imperative to involve stakeholders, particularly civil society, throughout the negotiations. And, as part of this process, the EU commissioned a study by an independent consultant – Ecorys – to assess the potential impact of TTIP on Europe and beyond. According to EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, “…the report does highlight the many opportunities TTIP presents for the EU.”  The TTIP...

Dutch Minister for Agriculture Martijn van Dam will be hosting a two-day informal meeting of the Agriculture Council on 30 and 31 May. The meeting, which will be held in Amsterdam and the Eindhoven region during the Netherlands EU Presidency, will be attended by all EU agriculture ministers. The meeting’s central theme will be ‘Food of the future – the future of food’, focusing on innovation and the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Food to be On Monday 30...

Today, I'm meeting my counterparts from all EU governments in the Foreign Affairs Council on Trade. We meet regularly to discuss EU trade policy and the way forward on a long row of issues. The agenda today was long, as there are a lot of things happening. We had a very good discussion on how to move forward on WTO, building on the momentum created after the ministerial conference in Nairobi. There is a new optimism about the multilateral trade...

After more than three years of negotiations to forge a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), many elements of the agreement are still far from settled. However, it is possible to reach agreement in 2016. The negotiators are determined, and there is mounting awareness that an agreement that underscores the importance of the transatlantic economic relationship and strengthens the strategic relationship between the European Union (EU) and the United States is needed. There is ample rhetoric in the media about...

The below graphic outlines the status of the various areas of negotiation being addressed by TTIP. Among them: Agriculture, Anti-Corruption, Competition, Cross border Trade Services, Customs, Trade Facilitation, eCommerce, Energy & Raw Materials, Investment Protection, IP, Legal & Institutional, Procurement, Market Access for Industrial Goods, Regulatory Coherence & Cooperation, Rules of Origin, SME's, State Owned Enterprises, Sanitary & Phytosanitary Measures, State-to-state dispute Settlements, Subsidies, Sustainable Development, Technical Trade Barriers, Textiles & Apparel, Trade Remedies... Click on the graph to see a...

Every year, World Trade Month—designated for the month of May—gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the importance of global trade, and look back at the economic advancements we have made as a result. This World Trade Month, we can look back and appreciate the success we have accomplished. In 2015, our exports totaled $2.23 trillion, we increased our exports to 58 international markets, and we achieved record exports with 20 global partners. Our export success was one aspect of a...

The EU's Chief TTIP negotiator,  Ignacio García Bercero,  has summarised progress made in the 13th round of talks. Read his remarks here. Compliments of the European Commission