International Trade

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International trade is governed by a complex mixture of global rules agreed under World Trade Organization and bilateral and multilateral agreements. The free trade agreements are having a growing impact on citizens' rights. Under the Lisbon Treaty, EU trade policy must be conducted within the framework of the principles and objectives of the Union’s external action, including promotion of the rule of law, human rights and sustainable development.

We believe that this trend should be a guiding principle in EU trade negotiations and in trade relations. The fact that we at the EESC reconcile the positions and views of business, workers, professionals, farmers, consumers and other important stakeholders contributes real added value. We are in a position to efficiently relay the opinions of civil society and interest groups to international policy-makers both during negotiations and in the implementation of trade agreements. We have set up a Follow-up Committee on International trade to ensure that civil society has a say in the shaping of EU trade policy. We are also managing the Domestic Advisory groups set up under the trade and sustainable development chapters of the EU "new generation" trade agreements. These groups, composed of civil society representatives (from inside and outside the EESC) are responsible for identifying trade and sustainable development-related problems in the implementation of a trade agreement.

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    33/2016

    The EU-China Round Table's 14th meeting was hosted by the EESC in Brussels on 18-19 May 2016. The Round Table was set up in 2007 following a Decision taken by the 9th EU-China Summit, which acknowledged that the exchanges and cooperation between the EESC and its Chinese counterpart, the China Economic and Social Council (CESC), formed an integral part of the EU-China relationship. Topics on the agenda included ...

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    La politique de commerce et d’investissement européenne peut-elle favoriser le développement durable et la justice sociale en Europe comme à l’étranger?

    Dans sa nouvelle communication «Le commerce pour tous», la Commission européenne définit son programme positif pour les entreprises, tout en insistant sur le fait qu’il importe de promouvoir les valeurs européennes. Cette communication est une mise à jour utile sur la politique de commerce et d’investissement de l’Union, selon un avis publié récemment par le Comité économique et social européen (CESE).

  • Yesterday's seminar at the EESC’s Brussels headquarters discussed strengthening EU-Japan cooperation, dealing with the common challenge of migration and the role of civil society in implementing the EU-Japan FTA. During the seminar, aimed broadly at strengthening ties between the EU and Japan on key issues such as trade and migration, the Vice-President of the EESC Gonçalo Lobo Xavier called for a representative delegation of Japanese civil society organisations to travel to the ...

  • Renforcer le commerce international profite aux entreprises, aux consommateurs et aux travailleurs. Dans 15 ans, 90 % de la demande mondiale proviendra de l'extérieur de l’UE. Pour cette dernière, il devrait être de ce fait prioritaire de mettre en place une politique commerciale simple et prévisible, car celle-ci constitue l'un des principaux facteurs pour stimuler la croissance et créer de nouveaux emplois. Les participants à la conférence sur le rôle du commerce international dans la réindustrialisation de l’Europe ont débattu de l’avenir de la politique commerciale de l’UE, du rôle des accords de libre-échange (ALE) et de la manière de relancer l’industrie européenne grâce au commerce et aux investissements. Cette conférence, organisée par le groupe des employeurs du CESE en collaboration avec Confcommercio et l'AICE (l’Association italienne pour le commerce extérieur), s’est tenue à Milan le 26 octobre.

  • The Employers' Group welcomes the Commission's new trade strategy presented today by Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström. "The European Commission listened closely to key concerns raised by Civil Society and the strategy represents a positive agenda for business" – stated Jonathan Peel, Member of the Employers' Group and the EESC rapporteur on the review of the EU Trade Policy.

  • The 10th meeting of the EU Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) under the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), and second meeting of the new 2023-25 term, took place on 9 January, 2024.

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    11th EU-Chile Joint Consultative Committee

  • Le Comité consultatif CARIFORUM-UE (CC) a été créé avec pour tâche et responsabilité de favoriser un dialogue et une collaboration significatifs entre les délégués des organisations de la société civile, y compris la communauté universitaire, et les acteurs sociaux et économiques.

  • L'envers du commerce : une approche ascendante du développement durable

    The EESC is hosting the 2nd European Civil Society Forum on Trade and Sustainable Development : ' The other side of trade: a bottom-up approach to sustainable development' on 14 November 2023 (9:30 to 16:00) in hybrid format.

    Moving from the fundamental question "Have we been listening?", the event will examine TSD from different angles with one common approach: inclusive, bottom-up, solution-oriented.

  • TBC