On Monday 15 April, the Council of the European Union formally approved the two mandates of the European Union to negotiate trade agreements with the United States on industrial products and conformity assessment, despite opposition from France and abstention by Belgium (see EUROPE B12234A19).
“Europe is ready. Once we start, I think it can go quite quickly”, said Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, assuring that she would do everything possible “to finish talks before end of...