Europe in Review 2016
The biggest events that shaped the European Union in 2016.
The biggest events that shaped the European Union in 2016.
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The <strong>Europe</strong>an Commission has long argued that <strong>in</strong><br />
the case of Ch<strong>in</strong>ese steel dump<strong>in</strong>g, the so-called<br />
lesser duty rule has limited EU tariffs to 21 percent,<br />
while the US, which has no such rule, could impose<br />
tariffs up to 266 percent.<br />
While the EU has started focus<strong>in</strong>g on re<strong>in</strong>forc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
trade tools and discuss<strong>in</strong>g reform<strong>in</strong>g trade policy to<br />
make it more transparent and effective, the other<br />
side of the Atlantic has elected Donald Trump, who<br />
opposes free trade deals, for US president.<br />
<br />
consumer standards are under threat and that trade<br />
deals, rather than creat<strong>in</strong>g jobs and generat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<br />
mult<strong>in</strong>ational companies.<br />
Populist groups, on both the left and the right of the<br />
<br />
political ga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
“Until now trade policy was perceived as a technical<br />
<br />
<br />
societies, and a change of approach is needed,” an<br />
EU diplomat summed up <strong>in</strong> the autumn.<br />
The struggle to sign on time the EU-Canada accord,<br />
<br />
highlights how trade has become politically sensitive<br />
and that the EU is less capable of deliver<strong>in</strong>g results.<br />
"It seems obvious that the EU is not capable of hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
an <strong>in</strong>ternational agreement even with a country that<br />
has values that are so <strong>Europe</strong>an, with a country<br />
that is as nice and as patient as Canada," Canadian<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational trade m<strong>in</strong>ister Chrystia Freedland said<br />
at one po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong> the last-m<strong>in</strong>ute negotiations.<br />
<br />
TTIP, which was supposed to set the standards for<br />
world trade.<br />
<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istration to decide the fate of the talks, go<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce 2013. Bernd Lange, chairman of the <strong>Europe</strong>an<br />
Parliament's trade committee warned that open<br />
trade policy is not someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Europe</strong>ans can take for<br />
granted anymore.<br />
"There is a feel<strong>in</strong>g that someth<strong>in</strong>g uncontrollable<br />
is happen<strong>in</strong>g, people will be afraid of it and start<br />
oppos<strong>in</strong>g it. We have to better control globalisation,"<br />
he said, add<strong>in</strong>g that, the democratic structures are<br />
<br />
<br />
Yet with TTIP slipp<strong>in</strong>g away, and a lagg<strong>in</strong>g agreement<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
trade, while others would move toward a more<br />
protectionist path.<br />
<br />
<br />
populism would only mean more protectionism.<br />
Paul Magnette: His opposition<br />
to Ceta launched him from<br />
obscurity to the world political<br />
stage.<br />
Photo: Campact<br />
EUROPE IN REVIEW DECEMBER <strong>2016</strong>— 23
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