Chairing the first meeting of the consultative group on the EU's trade agreements, which was set up by the European Commission at the end of 2017 to increase the EU trade policy's transparency and inclusivity, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström underlined the EU's expectations on this group's contribution to making the EU's trade policy both modern and progressive.
Speaking to the representatives of the panel of 30 organisations, including trade unions, employers' organisations, consumers' organisations and other NGOs (see EUROPE 11932), Malmström gave an overview of the state of progress of the ongoing trade negotiations, underlining the expectations of the partners with regard to the role of the EU as global leader on trade.
Malmström intends to place the questions of the multilateral court on investment disputes, e-trade, trade and gender equality, consumers and arrangements for SMEs at the centre of the consultative group's discussions.
She also said she is counting on this group to attract the Commission's attention to trade issues in the national level debate which it has not spotted.
The Commission will publish the reports of the consultative group's meetings, as well as the documents presented by its members. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)