Video viEUws.eu: Top 5 EU Trade Issues - All you need to know for the Slovak EU Presidency

Bron: Nieuws viEUws

In this special briefing, Joanna Sopinska - Trade reporter for EU Trade Insights - picks out the Top 5 Trade priorities that will be discussed by the European institutions under the Slovak EU Presidency:

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  The Slovak Presidency will seek reaching an agreement on conclusion, provisional application and signing of CETA, the EU-Canada free trade agreement. The signing ceremony is scheduled at the EU-Canada summit on 27 October 2016.

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  The Slovaks will facilitate discussions in the Council on TTIP, the EU-US free trade agreement, at the critical phase of negotiations in the second half of 2016. These will include Informal Trade Council on 22-23 September 2016 in Bratislava and the European Council meeting on 20-21 October 2016 in Brussels.

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  After the European Commission puts forward its proposal on the Market Economy Status (MES) for China in the autumn, the Slovak Presidency will seek reaching a political deal by the end of 2016 within the Council and then between the Council and the two other institutions- the European Parliament and the European Commission.

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  Other legislative files that are waiting completion under the Slovak Presidency:

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  The Presidency is expected to wrap up the technical talks on the draft regulation on conflict minerals by the end of its mandate;

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  Bratislava will also try to secure formal backing from the Council for the political agreement on the revised anti-torture regulation;

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  The Slovaks will continue technical talks on the reform of the EU’s Trade Defence Instruments (TDIs).

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  Finally, Bratislava will facilitate discussions in the Council on the multilateral negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) and on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).