Search

With expanding clean technologies, the boom of data centers, and increased security needs, comes a growth in demand for critical resources. Known as critical and strategic raw materials (CRMs and SRMs) in the European Union (EU), and critical minerals (CM) in the United States (US), these resources are invaluable to both European and American industries. Abundant within the Earth's crust, but controlled by only a handful of countries, high-risk, low-diversity supply chains have raised the alarm globally ...

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the European Union’s latest generation of so-called mini trade deals (MTDs), an informal but analytically useful label applied to agreements that sit outside the standard free trade agreement (FTA) framework. The paper focuses on three current categories: clean trade and investment partnerships (CTIPs), sustainable investment facilitation agreements (SIFAs), and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) related to critical raw materials (CRMs). Drawing on existing ...

The current proposal would extend the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) to aluminium and steel downstream products, consider measures to prevent circumvention and modify the methodology for calculating embedded emissions of electricity.

The agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) in respect of Gibraltar would complete the legal framework of the relations between the EU and the UK established by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The status of Gibraltar, not covered by the TCA, has been negotiated between the EU, Spain, the UK and Gibraltar since October 2021. The negotiations concluded in June 2025 with a broad agreement that introduces a hybrid governance model with roles for all four parties ...

This fact sheet explains how the EU’s development policy stresses the importance of trade and focuses on the countries most in need, through schemes that comply with World Trade Organization rules. It presents the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, a trade arrangement giving developing countries preferential access to the EU market through reduced tariffs. It also outlines how Economic Partnership Agreements ensure preferential commercial treatment for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

This fact sheet explains the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO), its main functions and ongoing reform efforts, as well as the European Union’s participation in the organisation. It outlines the WTO’s role in trade negotiations and dispute settlement, recent developments in multilateral and plurilateral negotiations, including at recent WTO ministerial conferences, and the EU’s position on WTO reform. The fact sheet also describes the role of the European Parliament in shaping and scrutinising ...

This fact sheet explains how the EU promotes an open economy and supports a multilateral rules-based order, as trade is fundamental for the EU’s prosperity. The EU is a founder of and key player in the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, to overcome trade barriers, level the playing field for its businesses and promote international commitments on trade and sustainable development, the EU has a network of more than 40 free trade agreements (FTAs), with other negotiations ongoing.