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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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    Can European trade and investment policy promote sustainable development and social justice at home and abroad? 

    Setting out its positive agenda for business while insisting on the importance of promoting European values, the European Commission’s new ‘Trade for all’ Communication is a timely update on EU trade and investment policy, according to a recently published opinion by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

  • 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 ...

  • Fostering international trade is beneficial for companies, consumers and employees. In 15 years' time, 90% of global demand will come from outside the EU. Therefore, establishing a simple and predictable trade policy should be a priority for the EU as one of the main factors in boosting growth and creating new jobs. The participants at the conference on the Role of international trade in the reindustrialisation of Europe discussed the future of EU trade policy, the role of FTAs and how to revive European industry through trade and investment. The conference took place in Milan on 26 October and was organised by the EESC Employers' Group, together with Confcommercio and AICE (Italian Association of Foreign Trade).

     

  • 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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    During the 11th meeting of the EU-Chile JCC, held physically in Santiago de Chile, the members discussed ways to strengthen our bilateral partnership in the rapidly evolving global political and economic circumstances. The aim was to "put people first", underlining the role of the civil society in promoting inclusive growth and tackling common challenges driven by economic shocks, climate change, instability, various threats to democracy and multilateral order. The JCC also exchanged views on the progress of the constitutional reform in Chile. Moreover, in view of the changes of the legal framework resulting from the modernization of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, participants discussed proposals concerning the role of the civil society and the status of the JCC following the transition.

    The JCC approved the Joint Declaration.

  • The CARIFORUM-EU Consultative Committee (CC) was established with the task and responsibility of fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration among delegates from civil society organizations, including the academic community, and social and economic stakeholders.

  • 2023 TSD Forum
    The other side of trade: a bottom-up approach to sustainable development

    The EESC hosted the 2nd Civil Society Forum on Trade and Sustainable Development : ' The other side of trade: a bottom-up approach to sustainable development' on 14 November 2023. Moving on from the fundamental question "Have we been listening?", the event examined Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) from different angles with a common approach: inclusive, bottom-up and solution-oriented.

  • The 9th meeting of the EU Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) under the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), and the first meeting of the new 2023-25 term, took place on 19 July, 2023.