Brussels, 28/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in Brussels on 29 November under the aegis of the Cypriot Presidency, as well as discussing Japan, EU27 trade ministers will examine progress in the free-trade talks with Canada and Singapore and trade with China, Russia and Mediterranean countries.
Japan. The Council is expected to give the go-ahead to the opening of free trade talks with Japan. The Commission requested a negotiating mandate in July following a scoping exercise for the talks, which will cover gradual and mutual trade liberalisation for goods, services, investment, and the lifting of non-trade barriers.
Canada. The Commission will brief the Council on the latest developments in the talks on a comprehensive trade and economic agreement (CETA) with Canada, which is expected to be agreed very shortly. The two sides now need to reach agreement on a number of key questions - tariff quotas for sensitive farm products, pharmaceutical patents and geographical indications, public procurement market access, services and investment market access, financial services, cultural services, “Mode 4” services and the “car package” (product-specific rules of origin, tariffs and automotive standards).
Singapore. The Commission will brief ministers on the latest developments in the free-trade talks with Singapore. The main outstanding issues are customs duty, rules of origin (regional accumulation), geographical indications and access to the services market.
The Mediterranean. The Council will examine the prospect for free-trade talks with Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. The Commission will give indications of progress in scoping with Arab Spring countries. The trade policy committee recently gave the go-ahead to talks in the future with Morocco.
Russia. Over lunch, ministers will discuss developments since Russia joined the WTO in August 2012 and will assess how it is implementing its commitments.
China. The Council will discuss future trade prospects, the investment negotiations and China's suggestion of studying the feasibility of a free-trade deal. (EH/transl.fl)