The Tories, the governing party of Britain is falling apart, being deeply divided about the kind of Brexit their country should pursue. It’s not the disastrous political circumstances of Prime Minister Theresa May that blocks the negotiations with the European Union, but the chaos dividing the hard Brexiteers from their colleagues preferring a smooth partition […]Brexit: The Conservative Party drives the UK and Europe to a perilous road
October 9, 2017 by Leave a Comment
The Tories, the governing party of Britain is falling apart, being deeply divided about the kind of Brexit their country should pursue. It’s not the disastrous political circumstances of Prime Minister Theresa May that blocks the negotiations with the European Union, but the chaos dividing the hard Brexiteers from their colleagues preferring a smooth partition […]State of the Union 2017: Juncker’s optimism about EU growth and Brexit’s impact
September 21, 2017 by Leave a Comment
It was last Wednesday when the president of the European Commission made his annual State speech address to the European Parliament pointing out the top priorities for the next year. Jean-Claude Juncker expressed his optimism for the boosting of the EU economy, trade, investment, cybersecurity, industry and democracy. The president of the EC respected the […]The EU Commission vies to screen Chinese investment in Europe
September 20, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Last week, Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the powerful European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, announced a plan to screen foreign investments. The idea is to hold back or even effectively block business acquisitions or other investment plans financed by third country companies, in key sectors allegedly considered to be sensitive from […]Brexit talks: Today the world to hear of a predictable failure
July 20, 2017 by 2 Comments
Last Monday’s events in Brussels were very characteristic of how perilously the Brits take the Brexit or more precisely how unripe they are to discuss this precarious question. When the two negotiating teams sat down for the first time to produce some tangible progress, the leader of the UK side, Brexit Secretary David Davis and […]Trump badly cornered at home by agribusiness and steel consumer lobbies: Trade
July 17, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and TV reality show star, as President, discovered the hard way that international trade is a much more complicated issue than he could have ever imagined. His poor cognitive abilities and his rampant nature didn’t allow him to realize that international trade is a much more complex issue, than […]EU and Japan agree on free-trade deal and fill the post-TPP void
July 11, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EC, Donald Tusk, President of the European Council and Shinzō Abe, Japanese Prime Minister at the EU-Japan Summit (Brussels, July 6, 2017). Copyright: European Union; Source: EC – Audiovisual Service; Photo: Etienne Ansotte Last week, right before the kick-off of the Hamburg G20 Summit, the European Union and Japan announced […]Human rights in Brussels and in Beijing: a more balanced approach needed
June 28, 2017 by Leave a Comment
At the last United Nations Human Rights Council meeting, which was held in Geneva earlier this month, Greece shocked the world by objecting a common EU statement regarding the condemnation of human rights violations in China. EU diplomats were not happy about that as it was the first time that the EU did not agree […]The US may be “open” to reviving TTIP, while the EU designs the future of trade with China
June 6, 2017 by Leave a Comment
After months of silence and no progress since the negotiations were officially put on hold, last week the TTIP reappeared on the main pages of the international press. According to US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership indeed would not be dead as of yet, and the US would be “open” […]China dazzles the world with her Silk Road plan to connect, Asia, Europe and Africa
May 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment
More than 30 political leaders and government representatives from 110 countries participate in the Belt and Road Forum China organizes in Beijing on Sunday and Monday 14 and 15 May. The Forum extended an invitation to all the countries of the world, the international organizations and businesses and aspires to be an all inclusive global […]
China invites the EU to a joint endeavor for free trade and order in the world
April 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment
The European Union and China are to hold a summit this June, which is expected to shape their joint answer to the American protectionist and other threats. Last weekend, those threats prevented the Spring Meeting of the IMF to renew its commitment to free trade. The US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin alone blocked it. Before […]EU and UK soon to be in a post-Brexit rush over free trade agreement with Australia
April 11, 2017 by 1 Comment
Last week, trade was one of the hottest topics on the European economic scene. The European Union and Australia made substantial progress towards the conclusion of a free trade agreement which has been on the table for years. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Australia’s Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism, Steven Ciobo, announced they […]Europe eyes to replace US as China’s prime foreign partner
March 2, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Last Tuesday, Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, received in Washington the top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi , in an effort to establish a “regular high-level engagement” with China, after President Donald Trump has practically destroyed the until recently multiple channels of problem solving and interaction between the two super powers. Obviously, Tillerson felt […]EU Parliament approves CETA: the EU-Canada free trade deal sees the light in Trump’s gloomy era
February 21, 2017 by Leave a Comment
After seven years of talks and remarkable twists, the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was approved by the European Parliament last week. The EU lawmakers formally backed last Wednesday the landmark free trade deal which aims to eliminate up to 99% of tariffs on exported goods with Canada, by a vote of 408 to […]Brussels to tear down the trade wall with Mexico as opposed to Trump’s “walls”
February 7, 2017 by 1 Comment
The European Union and Mexico have officially decided last week to accelerate negotiations on a new trade agreement and have set two additional rounds of trade talks in the first half of 2017. The European bloc and the Northern American country have long standing economic relations, but they are facing a very delicate moment, amidst […]“China will strive to enhance the performance of economic growth”, President Xi highlights from the World Economic Forum 2017 in Davos
January 18, 2017 by Leave a Comment
The first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) began with the opening plenary with Xi Jinping yesterday, President of the People’s Republic of China, monopolizing the interest of the global economic status quo convening these days at the Swiss Alps. This was the first time ever a Chinese President accepts the Davos invite and naturally all the […]Trade deals’ pure realism: it may take 10 years for a post-Brexit agreement
December 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment
It was already a well-known fact that the UK had a bumpy road ahead before a post-Brexit deal with the European Union could ever see the light, but last week’s news are now showing that reality could be even more complex than that. Britain’s ambassador to the European Union, Sir Ivan Rogers, warned British ministers last […]TTIP: why it is worth not to pull the covers over your head?
December 9, 2016 by 1 Comment
This article was exclusively written for the Sting by Mrs Mona Herter, Secretary General of the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises (JADE). The article is published in view of the famous Generations Club of JADE, which is taking place today in Brussels. JADE is a cordial partner of The European Sting. The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and […]Will CETA be implemented after eight long years or it will be vetoed by the EU citizen?
November 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
It was last Sunday when the EU and Canada signed the free trade agreement CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), despite the protest taking place just outside the European Council’s building. This deal is meant to create more jobs and growth through stronger economic relations. However, the approval of the national parliaments in Europe and […]Can the EU afford to block China’s business openings to Europe by denying her the ‘market economy status’?
October 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The way Wallonia, Belgium’s French speaking region approved CETA – the comprehensive economic and trade agreement between the EU and Canada – is a rather dark landmark. In the future, Europe’s trade and otherwise relations with foreign countries will be rather shaky. This was also true in the past, but now became evident for everybody […]Who can compel Wallonia to unlock CETA, the EU-Canada free trade pack?
October 24, 2016 by 1 Comment
No, it wasn’t just the tiny Wallonia region of Belgium and its 3.6 million French speaking inhabitants who blocked CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement). This is an EU-Canada free trade and investment pact that took eight years to the Brussels Commission and the Canadian authorities to draft. It was also the Brexit and the […]EU continues targeting on Chinese steel imports instead of the revival of its own economy
October 12, 2016 by 1 Comment
It was last Friday when the European Commission (EC) decided to impose temporary anti-dumping duties on imports of two steel products from China. Particularly, the duties concern hot-rolled flat steel and heavy plates of steel with EC’s investigations to show that Chinese products had been sold at extremely dumped prices. The Commission focuses on finding unfair […]TTIP is not dead as of yet, the 15th round of negotiations in New York shouts
October 11, 2016 by 1 Comment
Despite the huge protests and the many critics of the past two months, the 15th round of TTIP negotiations took place as planned last week in New York City. With the American elections getting closer and a growing scepticism in the local European parliaments, many saw the EU-US trade deal as almost dead. Now it […]The EU seals CETA but plans to re-baptise TTIP after missing the 2016 deadline
September 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The trade ministers of the European Union, after their plenary meeting in Bratislava last Friday, may not have found a way to revive the interest around TTIP, but surely all agreed on one thing: negotiations on the EU-US free trade agreement will almost certainly not be finished before the end of Obama’s presidency. The key […]EU Trade Ministers come together in a desperate attempt to save TTIP
September 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment
After having been the stage for a critical European Union Summit, the very first one in a 27-member-States shape, Bratislava is now preparing to harbour a delicate meeting of the bloc’s trade ministers next week. The agenda will be formally all focused on the existing trans-Atlantic trade agreements, the TTIP with the United States and […]Britain declares trade war on mainland Europe
July 18, 2016 by 2 Comments
The new British Prime Minister Theresa May’s choices of Boris Johnson as Foreign minister and David Davis as ‘Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union’, in some respect can be considered as a declaration of a trade war on mainland Europe. The latter of the two despite being almost unknown to the wider public, […]The South China Sea Arbitration: Illegal, Illegitimate and Invalid
July 12, 2016 by 2 Comments
This article was written for the European Sting by HE Ambassador Yang Yanyi of the Chinese Mission to EU in Brussels. If I have to choose three words to reflect my views of the award of arbitration over the South China Sea disputes unilaterally filed by the Philippines against China, it would be illegal, illegitimate and invalid. […]EU free-trade agreements with Canada and US: imagine the fallout if put to national referendums
July 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
When it comes to ‘selling’ its proposals to EU member states’ government and peoples, the European Commission turns the calendar some centuries back and starts painting saintly icons. The more inportant the proposal it is, the more boldly the Commission hides the real ‘catch 22s’ from citizens, under the bright colors of imaginary gains for […]The 13th round of TTIP negotiations hits a wall of intense protests and growing concerns
April 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The week of the 13th round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investments Partnership negotiations, which are currently held in New York City, did not start too well for the EU-US deal. About 35,000 demonstrators marched in the streets of Hannover last Saturday, a day ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit to the German city, to […]The EU risks trade relations with China over the Tata hype about steel
April 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment
It is indisputable that we are running a very important period regarding the trade relations between China and the EU. On the one hand, it is only today that the Commission’s online public consultation on future measures to prevent dumped imports from China is closing; a consultation which had earlier opened on 10 February. The EU is conducting […]Dutch voters reject EU-Ukraine partnership and open a new pandora’s box for the EU
April 12, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last Wednesday, April 6, a vast majority of Dutch voters clearly said “no” to a European Union-Ukraine pact on tighter political and economic ties. Despite a very low turnout (32.2%), which was anyway above the 30% threshold for the vote to be valid, the Dutch referendum delivered a very strong message to the European Parliament, […]EU and India re-open talks over strategic partnership while prepare for a Free Trade Agreement
April 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last Wednesday, on the 30th of March, the European Union and India officially resumed a long-standing conversation over their strategic partnership, holding the 13th EU-India Summit in Brussels. After four years of stagnation, the Asian giant and the 28-member bloc met to set out concrete priority actions for the strategic partnership in areas like trade […]Latest leaked TTIP document confirms EU sovereignty may be under threat
March 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Days have passed since the Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström gave an ambitious push to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and the supporters of the EU-US trade pact are now bound to see another possible sharp slowdown in the big ongoing negotiation match. A leaked document obtained by campaign group Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) reportedly revealed […]Federalist EU ‘naively’ believes Washington shares her TTIP high fever
March 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last week, fifteen days after the conclusion of the 12th round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations, the European Union Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström decided to make her point on the mammoth EU-US trade pact. While on a visit to her American counterpart, US Trade Representative Michael Froman, in Washington DC she gave […]
