THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S EVALUATION AND FITNESS CHECK ROADMAP: AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE EU-CENTRAL AMERICA ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

08 August, 2019
On 29 June 2012, the European Union and the six partner countries in Central America – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama – signed an Association Agreement (the EU-Central America Association Agreement) (the “Association Agreement“).  The purpose of this FTA was to develop trade and investment relations between parties. On 13 May … Read more

CJEU CONFIRMS THAT CETA DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROVISION IS COMPATIBLE WITH EU LAW

23 May, 2019
On 30 April 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU“) confirmed that the mechanism for the settlement of disputes between investors and states set out in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada (“CETA“) was compatible with EU law. This confirms the Attorney General’s opinion discussed here. The … Read more

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to come into force on 30th December

05 November, 2018
Australia has become the 6th country to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade deal between 11 Pacific nations. Australia’s ratification followed swiftly after Canada deposited its official notice of ratification on 24th October, joining Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore. The agreement will now come into force on 30th … Read more

EU – Japan EPA presented to the European Council, ratification begins

03 May, 2018
On 18 April 2018 the European Commission (the “Commission“) presented the finalised text of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (“EPA“) to the European Council and thereby took the first step in the EPA’s ratification process at the EU level.  Getting to this point took significant time and effort: the first of 18 rounds of negotiations … Read more

EU – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement announced

02 August, 2017
On 6 July 2017 the EU and Japan announced an agreement in principle on their Economic Partnership Agreement (“EPA“).  The scale of this agreement is eye-popping: once in effect the EPA will cover nearly 40 percent of all goods exports, 10 percent of the Earth’s population, and about 30 percent of global GDP.  The breadth … Read more

EU trade agreement enters into effect with five southern African countries

27 October, 2016
On 10 June 2016 the EU signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Southern Africa Development Community EPA Group comprising Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland (the SADC EPA). On 10 October 2016 that agreement entered into effect between the EU and five of those countries: with Mozambique in the process of … Read more