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On 20 May 2026, Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the Commission proposals for two regulations to implement the EU's tariff commitments under the EU-US Joint Statement of 21 August 2025. The trilogue agreement is to be voted in plenary during the June part-session.

On 31 May, Colombia will hold presidential elections in a highly polarised political landscape, following the legislative elections of 8 March 2026, which resulted in a fragmented Congress. Since the historic peace agreement of 2016, internal armed conflict, violence, forced displacement and narco-terrorism have continued to pose a major challenge to this Latin American state. Under the administration of Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first left-wing president, coca cultivation and cocaine production ...

During the March II plenary session, the European Parliament is set to vote on its first-reading position on two European Commission proposals for two regulations implementing the EU's tariff commitments under the 2025 Framework Agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), also known as the Turnberry deal. This would pave the way for interinstitutional negotiations.

This study examines the WTO’s economic and legal value for the European Union and draws policy implications for the European Parliament ahead of MC14. Economically, it shows how MFN non‑discrimination and bound tariffs reduce transaction costs and uncertainty for EU exporters – especially SMEs – and warns that a two‑tier system of bilateral ‘deals’ would fragment markets and penalise EU high‑value trade. It reviews recent quantitative evidence on the welfare and export gains from GATT/WTO Membership ...

The February 2026 plenary session saw two key votes: on the Ukraine Support Loan, reaffirming the EU's continued financial support for Ukraine; and on the EU-Mercosur agreement safeguard clause, underlining the importance of protecting European interests. Members debated several Commission and Council statements, including on the European response to extreme weather events, particularly in Portugal, southern Italy, Malta and Greece; building a stronger European defence in an increasingly volatile ...

Parliament is set to vote during its February 2026 plenary session on a provisional text for a regulation implementing the bilateral safeguard clause for agricultural products incorporated into the trade pillar of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement, as agreed in interinstitutional negotiations on 17 December 2025.

This study examines the extent to which the EU’s legal framework and Member States’ practices on dual-use export controls align with their respective legal obligations, particularly as they relate to conflict-affected regions. There is a lack of high-quality data on EU trade in dual-use goods. While the EU’s annual report has improved in recent years, it continues to lack granularity regarding what is actually exported. Some Member States produce annual reports, including a few that offer a good ...

The demand for 'mirror clauses' in EU free trade agreements (FTAs) or unilateral 'mirror measures' ('mirroring') has gained considerable traction in EU debates on trade and agricultural policy. This study advances a contextual understanding of the terms of 'mirroring' and concepts related to it, presents their economic, legal and operational consequences. It explores rules, potentials and limitations of applying EU sustainability standards to imports. In addition, the expressed need to ensure a fair ...

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), which entered into force in May 2021, governs the EU's relationship with the UK, following its withdrawal from the EU. In addition to the European Commission evaluating the implementation of the TCA on an annual basis, Article 776 of the TCA provides for a joint review of the deal's implementation five years after its entry into force, in 2026. On 20 November 2024, the European Parliament's Conference ...

The European Commission has announced a range of new trade partnerships – the clean trade and investment partnerships (CTIPs) – to bolster the EU's competitiveness, diversify supply chains and boost economies. CTIPs are the latest instrument in the EU's set of trade tools the Commission calls 'alternative forms of engagement', and to which experts also refer as 'trade-related agreements' or 'mini trade deals'. They are meant to complement the EU's vast network of trade agreements through a faster ...