On Sunday, the EU officially signed the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The language it contains on animals is weak compared to the most recent EU FTAs, particularly as Vietnam is a key country for aquaculture and fisheries, and a recognised hotspot for wildlife trafficking. Eurogroup for Animals calls on the European Parliament to demand the […]
EU-US negotiations on eliminating tariffs for “industrial” goods will cover fish ad fish products. In the light of such news, it is unacceptable for the EU not to include provisions on fish welfare and a proper Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapter in the mandate for these negotiations. EU institutions are currently discussing the draft […]
Photo credits: © Greenpeace / Kate Davison The European Parliament has finally given its consent to the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (JEEPA), which unfortunately is a missed opportunity to advance the protection of animals. In addition, the enforcement mechanisms available to ensure the agreement’s cooperation mechanisms deliver impact remain desperately weak. Japan is the fifth […]
The EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), entered in provisional application in January 2016 and came fully into force in September 2017. The case of the Ukraine is an important one for animal welfare. The EU has included strong language on regulatory alignment in the field of animal welfare in exchange of providing […]
Photo credits: Alex E. Proimos/Flickr The EU and Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay) are still negotiating their long-awaited trade agreement. How close they are to conclude a deal continues to be uncertain. A new round should take place in Montevideo in September, and as usual, many actors are presenting it as the final round […]
From left to right: Dr Joanna Swabe (HSI Europe), Cécile Toubeau (T&E), Bernd Lange MEP, Stéphanie Ghislain (Eurogroup for Animals) On 5 September, Eurogroup for Animals – jointly with Transport & Environment, Fern and Humane Society International Europe – launched a study realized by the four NGOs on “Trade and Sustainable Development” (TSD) provisions […]
This week, the objective of the EU is clear: to show the world – and the US – that rules-based free trade works. The EU-Japan Summit, which has been postponed by a week and moved to Tokyo due to the floods that have been plaguing the country, will be the occasion to finally sign the […]
This week, at the occasion of the Expert group meeting on Trade Negotiations, the Commission gave an overview of the implementation status of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). This implementation implies the setting up of around 13 committees (between the Parties, thus the Canadian government and the European Commission) and 5 dialogues. CETA […]
On 21 April, the European Union and Mexico concluded the modernisation of the “Global Agreement”[1] they initially signed in 1997. The text now includes a chapter on animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance – sending a strong statement to the world that animal welfare matters and is critical to protect Europe’s values and Europeans’ health. Devoting […]