Category: Trade Policy
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Alang Shipbreaking Yards Draw A Parliament Committee Objection
Alang: The Alang shipbreaking yards moved to the centre of an EU environmental dispute on 4 November 2026, when the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment objected to a Commission…
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Withdrawal Looms For Long-Term Residents Directive After Four Years
Rome: The long-term residents directive reform is set to disappear from the EU agenda. According to the Commission’s 2027 work programme, presented on 4 November 2026, the Commission has decided…
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Croatian Electricity Aid Plea Tests The Clean Industrial Deal Rules
Zagreb: Croatian electricity aid has become the latest test of how far Member States can use the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework, known as CISAF, to cushion industrial power…
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Drug Precursors Face Tighter EU Controls After Council Mandate
Lisbon: Drug precursors will face tighter EU controls after the Council adopted its negotiating mandate on 4 November 2026. The position gives the Member States a common line for talks…
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Chemical Product Packaging Ruling Widens The Food Lookalike Test
Stockholm: Chemical product packaging that resembles food packaging can be banned on the basis of overall appearance, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 5 November 2026…
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Nord Stream 2 Appeal Fails As EU Court Backs Gas Market Rules
Luxembourg: The Nord Stream 2 appeal ended in defeat on 5 November 2026, when the Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed the pipeline company’s challenge to the extension…
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EU Budget Negotiating Box Gives Capitals Figures To Fight Over
Dublin: The Irish Council Presidency’s third EU budget negotiating box, presented on 10 October 2026, is the first to contain figures, and governments now have to decide how far to…
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Circular Economy Act Slips To 18 November As Textiles Await Rules
Rotterdam: The Circular Economy Act, one of the Commission’s flagship green files, has slipped by a week. FashionUnited reported on 29 October 2026 that the presentation, originally scheduled for 11…
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Quality Jobs Act Awaits Commission Proposal After Consultation
Turin: The Quality Jobs Act is the most important social proposal still expected from the European Commission this year, and employers and unions are already preparing for it. A DLA…
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Return Hubs In Third Countries Gain Final Approval From Council
Valletta: Return hubs in third countries are about to become part of European law after the Council gave final approval to the new Return Regulation, according to Anadolu Agency’s report…
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Montenegro EU Membership Roadmap Points To A 2028 Accession Target
Podgorica: Montenegro EU membership moved closer on 4 November 2026, when the European Commission presented its 2026 Enlargement Package with indicative roadmaps for the four most advanced candidates. Montenegro, Albania,…
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Cohesion Policy Reform Must Build On What Works, Regions Warn
Trieste: Cohesion policy reform must build on what works rather than start again, according to local and regional leaders who met in Trieste on 29 October 2026. About 30 representatives…
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Mediterranean Fishing Opportunities For 2027 Await Science Advice
Palermo: The Commission’s proposal on Mediterranean fishing opportunities for 2027 is on the table, but its most important numbers are still missing. The Commission published the proposal in mid-September 2026…
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AkzoNobel Axalta Merger Clears Review As Paper Venture Faces Phase Two
Helsinki: The AkzoNobel Axalta merger won clearance from the European Commission in the first phase of review, according to a competition briefing published on 6 November 2026, after the companies…
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EBA Internal Governance Guidelines Bring Proportionality To Banks
La Défense: The European Banking Authority published revised EBA internal governance guidelines on 5 November 2026, promising greater proportionality and simplification for banks. The update follows changes introduced by the…
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Unfair Trading Practices Rules Face Targeted Revision After Push
Bratislava: Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen has announced a targeted revision of the EU rules on unfair trading practices in the food supply chain, after four central European governments pressed the…
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Customs Handling Fee Of Two Euros Hits Small Parcels From Abroad
Lille: The customs handling fee on small parcels from outside the European Union was due to start on 1 November 2026, adding 2 euros to the 3 euro customs duty…
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Education and Skills Package Takes Aim At Weak Pupil Results
Tallinn: The Education and Skills package that the European Commission launched on 5 November 2026 asks governments to reverse falling pupil results and a shrinking teaching workforce. Executive Vice-President Roxana…
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Public Finances Slip With Euro Area Government Deficit At 3.3 Percent
Luxembourg: The euro area government deficit reached 3.3 percent of GDP in the second quarter of 2026, up from 3.2 percent in the first quarter, according to figures Eurostat published…
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ECDC Ebola Deployment To Nigeria Extends Europe’s Outbreak Reach
Abuja: The ECDC Ebola deployment to Nigeria announced on 27 October 2026 shows how Europe’s disease agency now works outside the Union to contain outbreaks early. A team led by…
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Poultry Case Clarifies Rome II Product Liability For Components
Ferrara: The Court of Justice of the European Union has clarified how Rome II product liability rules decide which country’s law applies when a defective component ends up in a…
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Rhine Drought Shows Critical Infrastructure Climate Risk
Kaub: The 2026 weather extremes have turned critical infrastructure climate risk from a modelling exercise into a daily operating problem, according to Briefing 22/2026 from the European Environment Agency, published…
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Draft Quantum Act Could Bar Non-EU Suppliers From Public Contracts
Delft: The draft Quantum Act that the European Commission is scheduled to propose on 18 November could exclude quantum technology suppliers controlled from outside the European Union from public contracts,…
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Shoppers Retreat And Euro Area Retail Trade Drops 0.7 Percent
Larnaca: Euro area retail trade fell by 0.7 percent in September 2026, according to the first estimate Eurostat published on 6 November, and the drop was far steeper than economists…