The 10th Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) in Milan, Italy, concluded last Friday after two full days of work. The meeting was established in 1996 and it has since become a key forum for new cooperation proposals between Europe and Asia. Russia-Ukraine question has probably been the this edition’s hottest topic under the spotlight, as Milan summit […]10th ASEM in Milan and the importance of being one: EU’s big challenge on the way to China
October 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The 10th Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) in Milan, Italy, concluded last Friday after two full days of work. The meeting was established in 1996 and it has since become a key forum for new cooperation proposals between Europe and Asia. Russia-Ukraine question has probably been the this edition’s hottest topic under the spotlight, as Milan summit […]EU makes key TTIP document public as protests get louder
October 14, 2014 by 1 Comment
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, known as TTIP, has always been largely criticized, and this is not news. However, the demonstrations that took place across Europe on Saturday, with large numbers of events in 22 countries across Europe, might tell that the time of huge protests against the agreement is here. Tens of thousands […]Can one FTA and 110 lobby meetings make the dirty oil clean in Europe?
October 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment
So it happens again. The EU is compromising its own policies to endorse trade and business. What’s wrong with that? Just an equivalent environmental damage of 6 million cars in the European roads by 2020. It was only yesterday morning that the European Commission issued a controversial proposal that undermines its own 2020 targets to […]“Health and environment first of all”, EU says with forced optimism after 7th round of TTIP talks
October 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Last Friday the United States and the European Union concluded the seventh round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks in the US. After a year of negotiations in both Washington and Brussels, and many notable obstacles on the way, the diplomats last week displayed some optimism. The official outcome was that the process […]Canada and EU officially sign the trade agreement that could open-up the road to TTIP
September 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Last Friday the European Union and Canada officially marked the end of five years of negotiations and talks: the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the two parts was signed. The agreement was presented by the outgoing Commission President Manuel Barroso, the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper […]It’s not summer holidays what lead to the bad August of the German economy
September 5, 2014 by
The second quarter was very disappointing in terms of GDP figures for Germany. The biggest European economy is facing tough times at the moment Russia imposes economic sanctions against the EU. It is now more than necessary for Germany to find a way to climb up to growth but its fiscal policy comes as an obstacle […]Russia and the EU ‘trade’ natural gas supplies and commercial concessions in and out of Ukraine
July 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Despite the willingness of the West (EU and US) to gradually cut off Russia from the western and central European economic volume, the gas pipelines are always there, supplying the rest of Europe with Russian combustible materials and reminding everybody that the Old Continent is still dependent on Russian fossil fuels. The ‘Euro-Mediterranean Platform on […]TTIP fight round 6: last chance for the negotiators to finally open up as they touch the Brussels ring
July 9, 2014 by 1 Comment
The next round of the EU-US talks on the ‘infamous’ trade and investment deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, is just around the corner now, but new, fierce critics against the deal are launching back. The gigantic trade agreement, known as TTIP, has been largely criticized from the day 1 by many detractors, who claimed major risks […]Macro-Financial Assistance: Europe’s way to control Ukraine?
June 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The European Commission (EC) paid out €500 million to Ukraine on Tuesday, a financial support to be the first loan tranche of the second Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) programme of the EU. While the crisis in Ukraine is still raging and the need for economic reforms is more crucial than ever, the EU is adding to International […]“Austerity was not the alternative!”, President Hannes Swoboda of the European Socialists and Democrats on another Sting Exclusive
June 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
This revealing exclusive interview with President Hannes Swoboda, President of the Progressive Alliance of European Socialists and Democrats (S&D), was conducted by Carlo Motta at the European Sting’s pavilion during European Business Summit 2014. In the following interview Carlo Motta will be signalled as C.M and President Swoboda as H.S. C.M.: I am very pleased to […]“Will TTIP solve the massive EU-US unemployment? Absolutely not!” A revealing Sting Exclusive with Tim Bennett from the Transatlantic Business Council
June 2, 2014 by 1 Comment
This revealing exclusive interview with Mr Tim Bennett, Director General and CEO of the Transatlantic Business Council (TABC), was conducted by Carlo Motta at the European Sting’s pavilion during European Business Summit 2014. In the following interview Carlo Motta will be signalled as C.M and Tim Bennett as T.M. C.M.: It is a pleasure and honour to have here […]What the future holds for the EU – China relations?
May 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment
EU and China relations are perfectly depicted in a passage from a European Union External Action service Press release issued recently. It says, “While acknowledging China’s advancement of the economic and social wellbeing of its people in the past 25 years, the EU also hopes to see greater space open up for discussion and debate […]Arlington, USA: kick-off of the fifth round of the EU-US boxing match
May 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The time for the fifth round of negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, has come, and lights were concentrated on Monday in Arlington, Virginia for the fifth round of negotiations. In the week of the European Parliament elections, which could change the Union’s political scene, there might be more news to come for […]Bertelsmann Stiftung @ European Business Summit 2014: Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TTIP) needs balanced approach
May 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Written by Aart de Geus, Chairman & CEO of the Bertelsmann Stiftung The successful completion of world trade talks on Bali last December is already considered historic. One hundred fifty-nine countries agreed to simplify world trade by having fewer customs regulations and more uniform trade rules. Does that make a Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement, like the […]Brussels to point the finger to Washington for lack of commitment over TTIP
May 2, 2014 by Leave a Comment
It was only last Wednesday, 30 April, that the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, together with top representatives from BusinessEurope paid a visit to the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC. The aim of the visit was not only to “reciprocate” the previous American visit in Brussels, but also to point the finger to […]Obama, Crimea and the TTIP pill
March 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment
It was two days ago, Wednesday 26 March, that the President of the USA paid us a visit here in Brussels and caused a congestion chaos in the Belgian capital. The reason of his visit was to sell. To sell ideas about freedom, NATO membership ‘upgrades’ and a bit of shale gas. As sales are […]De Gucht: More gaffes with the talks on the EU-US free trade agreement
March 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
European Commissioner Karel de Gucht, responsible for Trade, speaking after the informal Athens meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), attended by the 28 Foreign Trade ministers, failed to accurately report the Council’s opinion on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that is the free trade agreement currently under negotiation between the Union […]EU-US trade deal: Europe to Americanize its social model?
February 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment
It can’t be both. Either the EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht hadn’t recovered from the transatlantic trip hangover, while speaking in Washington on Tuesday, or he thinks we are all morons. He said: “I invite all Europeans to also discuss their concerns about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) (free trade deal)… Because […]Commission launches ‘Industrial Renaissance’ initiative
January 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Last Wednesday the European Commission presented a ground-breaking communication for a “European Industrial Renaissance”. With it, the EU’s executive arm “is urging Member States to recognise the central importance of industry for creating jobs and growth and to mainstream industry-related competitiveness concerns across all policy areas”. The truth is, however, that industry doesn’t play the […]Towards a seamless internal EU market for industrial goods
January 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Twelve years after the ‘internal market’ initiative launched in 1992, with which the European Union erased the technical, fiscal and any other barrier impeding the internal circulation of goods within the boundaries of the club, and still there are impediments to the free internal circulation of industrial products. The European Commission in order to neutralise […]The Commission neglects the services sector and favours industry
January 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
On 22 January the European Commission will present a Communication on an EU wide project, under the grandiose name of “European Industrial Renaissance”. Despite its name, the Communication doesn’t seem to have a strong connection with reality. Even the early pre-announcement of this Communication released on 20 December contains elements of futility. It says “While […]Who would pay and who is to gain from the EU-US free trade agreement
December 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Challenging the factual reality, that the ‘gains’ from the currently under negotiation EU-US trade agreement would come mainly from deregulation in the fields of health, safety, environment, financial and data security, the European chief negotiator Garcia Bercero insisted that: “the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is not and will not be a deregulation agenda”. […]EU Commission – US hasten talks to avoid NGO reactions on free trade agreement
November 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Last Friday 15 November the European Union and the United States concluded the second round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations in Brussels. The TTIP is a kind of enlarged free trade agreement involving the two largest trading partners of the world. It covers mainly the impediments after the borders (regulations and technical barriers) […]EU-US resume trade negotiations under the spell of NSA surveillance
November 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Finally the second round of the EU-US trade negotiations is to be held this week from Monday to Friday 11 to 15 November in Brussels. The round was originally set for 7th-11th October but it was postponed because the Americans couldn’t travel to Europe due to the partial shutdown of the US administration. Of course […]The EU-US trade agreement, victim of right-wing extremists and security lunatics
November 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The 17 days, that the extreme right (Tea Party politicians) of the US Republican Party forced the American administration to partially shut down, have already cost the GOP the mayorship of New York and the governorship of Virginia, but have also endangered their country’s trade agreement with their closest economic partner, the European Union. The […]EU signs with Canada historic trade agreement, others to follow
October 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The announcement of the conclusion of the EU-Canada free trade agreement yesterday not only opens a new chapter in the history of EU-Canada relations, but the solutions agreed in sensitive chapters, like agriculture and animal products and public procurement will serve as a base for the under negotiation similar pact with the US. The Prime […]Parliament sets conditions on EU-China investment deal
October 7, 2013 by 1 Comment
A proposal for a resolution on the EU-China investment and market access agreement will be discussed in the October 8 plenary session of the European Parliament. A vote is scheduled to follow on the same day. The resolution, drafted by Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL, DE), was passed by 25 votes to 2 with 3 abstentions, during […]American negotiators can’t pay for their trip to Brussels, EU-US trade agreement freezes
October 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Quite unexpectedly, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht announced yesterday night the cancellation of 2nd Round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations in Brussels, due to the US administration shutdown. His counterpart, United States Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman informed him that “due to the ongoing furlough, the US Administration will not be […]New chapters in EU-China trade disputes
September 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
This year there was no summer recess for the European Commission Directorate General for Trade (DG TRADE) and more precisely for the Directorate C which is competent for Asia. China kept the department’s bureaucrats busy all along this August, because on the 7th and the 16th of this month the Directorate produced two major cases […]Trade protectionism and cartels threaten democracy
September 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Trade protectionism is a very dangerous medicine for economic illnesses. On most occasions it is like a drug that kills the pain and the symptoms but at the same time it dilutes the possibility to cure the illness that causes them. If an economy loses its competitiveness in a certain sector or in the entire […]EU and China resolve amicably solar panel trade dispute
July 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Exactly ten days after the European Sting predicted on 19 July that most likely EU and China would soon settle their long time dispute on solar panels, Commissioner De Gucht confirmed last Saturday: “We found an amicable solution in the EU-China solar panels case that will lead to a new market equilibrium at sustainable prices”. In […]Commission caps charges on card and Internet payments and enforces competition
July 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
It was high time that the European Commission tried to arrest the over-exploitation of European consumers by a handful of banks and credit card providers. This week Joaquín Almunia, Commission’s Vice President responsible for competition policy, and Michel Barnier, EU Commissioner in charge of internal market and services presented one draft regulation and one directive amendment, […]China hopes EU Commissioner De Gucht drops super anti-dumping tariff on solar panels
July 19, 2013 by 2 Comments
With EU – China bilateral trade volume at more than €1 billion a day and both ways investment flows at around €20bn a year, accusations and complaints over state subsidies, dumping and other trade distorting practices exchanged between the two giant partners seem unimportant. Yet the recent proliferation of the anti-dumping and anti-state-subsidies measures adopted […]
