Category: International affairs
The EU’s trade policy can be sustainable – and here is how
With the failure of the World Trade Organisation to address climate issues in trade, BEUC's Mykyta Sobko looks at how to tackle the pressing issues of sustainability and consumer concerns in trade policies.
EU-UK divorce deal: What (not) to replicate in future EU trade policy
While the EU-UK trade & cooperation deal is a very specific one, building on a formerly integrated consumer market, wider EU trade policy can draw lessons from it.
Why we need to take the COVID supply chain debate sector by sector
The COVID crisis has led to debates on whether to ‘reshore’ our supply chains. This is a very complex issue, writes Monique Goyens, as she argues for a sector by sector approach.
Is it safe to buy products online from the other side of the world?
Consumers now buy things from anywhere in the world in a few clicks. But consumer groups' research shows the safety of these products is not always guaranteed. Online shops are urged to act responsibly and authorities should work together across...
Consumer greetings from Buenos Aires: My days at the WTO Ministerial Conference
Last week, the 164 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened in Buenos Aires for their biannual ministerial conference. Although expectations before the conference were low, they were undercut by the actual outcomes. Most countries had hoped for fresh...
Making ‘open trade’ and the global market work for EU consumers
“Open trade must go hand in hand with open policy making,” Jean-Claude Juncker said in his annual State of the Union speech last week. With this statement he kicked-off changes in the way the European Commission conducts trade negotiations. His...
What the fipronil egg crisis tells us about the pitfalls of open markets
Looking back at the summer of 2017, two things people will probably remember are the summer hit Despacito and the egg crisis. When it comes to the eggs the short version goes like this: In July, Belgian authorities alerted their...
Consumer rights in trade agreements: a missing element?
In the past years, consumer organisations have worked intensively on the EU’s trade agreements with the US (TTIP) and Canada (CETA). We’ve stressed the advantages and challenges of these agreements and demanded that consumers benefit from them. For better or...
EU-US consumer groups want to change trade deals: split ‘tariffs’ from ‘rules’
If you work in policy communications, you’ll be familiar with the amount of technical terms and acronyms that come with conferences full of experts. You’ll know how difficult it can be to make things understandable and to cut out the...
Let’s Move Away from a Fossilised Vision of the Consumer Benefits of Trade
Last week, US and EU consumer groups joined in the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue met in Washington DC for their annual meeting. In this guest blog, Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection and Privacy, Consumer Federation of America, shares her impressions....