Alexia Herwig’s Post

New Studio Europa Maastricht policy brief out with Aniekan Ukpe, PhD on "The EU and developing countries in the WTO: reforming special and differential treatment". Building on our earlier policy brief under the auspices of the Institute for International Trade | University of Adelaide, we now focus on how the EU should position itself in ongoing reform debates on rules for developing countries in the #WTO. In a world in which economic heterogeneity of countries is growing and increasingly cuts across ‘North-South’ divides, WTO members need to find new and convincing ways to address economic inequality in global trade governance As Europe seeks to transform and defend global economic governance, including through its 2019 reform proposal for special and differential treatment (SDT) in the WTO, we recommend a pragmatic, dual approach to SDT reform that could help to make its agreement-specific proposal more popular among WTO members. We recommend that the EU supports a layered approach that combines the introduction of sector-specific criteria for access to SDT with a pragmatic push for voluntary graduation. For the EU, this would entail compromising and giving up the proposal to introduce cross-cutting criteria for graduation from SDT. 👇 https://lnkd.in/euzVNFcY Thanks to Studio Europa Maastricht for the funding contribution and the opportunity.

This time, in "The EU and developing countries in the WTO: reforming special and differential treatment", Clara Weinhardt and I build on our earlier policy brief under the auspices of the Institute for International Trade | University of Adelaide. As the European Union and its member states seek to transform and defend global [economic] governance to make it more robust, effective, and democratic, including through its 2019 reform proposal for special and differential treatment (SDT) in the WTO, we recommend a pragmatic, dual approach to SDT reform that could help popularize its agreement-specific proposal among WTO members.   Our recommended approach combines the use of provision-specific criteria to trigger and limit access to SDT with a pragmatic slant towards voluntary graduation in cases where the former may prove infeasible. It takes into account the heterogenous needs of countries and assumes a linkage between the implementation of obligations and the existence of implementation capacity. Thanks to Studio Europa Maastricht for the funding contribution and the opportunity. World Trade Organization UNCTAD European Commission United Nations Economic Commission for Africa The African Policy Research Institute Development Reimagined APRI - Africa Policy Research Institute Friends of Europe International Institute for Sustainable Development Law Group

Review V of Special and Differential Treatment Reform in the WTO: The Differentiated Differentiation Approach, by Aniekan Ukpe (Routledge, 2024) written by Clara Weinhardt, Assistant Professor in International Relations at the Maastricht University. In her introduction, she notes that The book focuses on special and differential treatment (SDT) of developing countries in the World Trade Organisation. It is carefully researched, draws on a breadth of literature and legal analysis, and presents an original argument on for reforming the system of differentiation within the World Trade Organization (WTO). What Aniekan Ukpe calls a 'differentiated differentiation' approach seeks to resolve contentious and deadlocked debates about the rights and obligations of developing country members. It is on this original approach that the rich historical, ideational and legal analysis of the early chapters of the book builds. The proposed evidence-based and case-by-case system adds a new perspective to academic debates on differential treatment. It has real potential to contribute to ongoing debates in the WTO on reforming differentiation among its members. To read more follow this link. https://lnkd.in/ea_4SM9y

Mario Draghi’s report on EU competitiveness highlights the urgent need to rethink Europe’s economic policies amid intensified competition with China and the US in a hostile trade environment. 📰 Free and fair competition has been compromised by the rise of big international corporations, particularly from the US and China. These global powers have also challenged the authority of the WTO, becoming major drivers of trade regulations. Exposed to the tensions and influence of the two countries, the EU must re-evaluate its economic strategies to maintain its key role in international trade. “Caught between a rock and a hard place, the EU is virtually at the mercy of US retaliation in the field of trade and finance and Chinese retaliation in commercial matters.” ✍️ In this context, how can the EU retain regulatory influence on global climate action when its two main competitors are known to challenge international climate agreements? Read Daniel Segoin’s and Shahin Vallée’s take on the issue here: https://lnkd.in/ePyQp2nd #China #Climate #TradePolicy #Competition #US #Economy

🔔 New College of Commissioners Portfolios Announced! 🔔 This week, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the new structure of the College of Commissioners, shaping the future of the EU’s priorities: prosperity, security, and democracy—driven by competitiveness and the dual transition. 3 key figures for Israel’s economy over the next five years: 🌱 Teresa Ribera (Spain), Executive VP for a Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition – tasked with ensuring Europe stays on track for the European Green Deal goals. #GreenTransition #Sustainability 🔐 Henna Virkkunen (Finland), Executive VP for Tech-Sovereignty, Security & Democracy – leading on digital files and frontier technologies, including AI. #TechSovereignty #AI #DigitalTransformation 💼 Maroš Šefčovič (Slovakia), Commissioner for Trade & Economic Security – a key player in shaping future EU-Israel trade relations and bolstering economic security, with deep experience in EU external affairs.He is a former Slovak Ambassador to Israel (1999-2002). #TradePolicy #EconomicSecurity #EUTrade The new College is expected to take office in the coming months, pending European Parliament approval. The full list of portfolios can be found below. Stay tuned as the Israel Trade Mission to the EU closely monitors regulatory and policy developments! 🌐 For updates or more information, don’t hesitate to reach out! #EUCommission #IsraelEUTrade #DigitalEurope #CircularEconomy #CleanTech #Competitiveness #EuropeanGreenDeal Foreign Trade Administration - Ministry of Economy & Industry Lena Zeiger Yulia Lerner Snir Naama Ben-Menachem

📝New content added on Ideas on Europe by JCMS: 'Frames and Issue Linkage: EU Trade Policy in the Geoeconomic Turn' Changes underway in the global political economy, including Sino-American tensions and the Covid-19 pandemic, are increasingly identified as creating new challenges and raising difficult questions about the role of prominent traders like the European Union (EU). Read now 👇 #Economics #EUTradePolicy #EUstradepolicies #Geopolitics #tradepolicies

Draghi Report on the future of European Union competitiveness: Economic Challenges: The #EU faces decreased #competition intensity, lower #productivity #growth, and increasing #marketconcentration, leading to a decline in #competitiveness. Strategic Areas for Action: Draghi identifies three main areas: closing the #innovationgap with the US and China, accelerating #decarbonisation, and increasing #security while reducing #dependencies. #CompetitionPolicy Reforms: Proposals include adapting #mergercontrol practices to focus more on #innovation potential and creating ‘European champions’ to compete globally. #TradePolicy Recommendations: Emphasizes a #flexibleapproach to trade policy, #balancing #openness with #protectionist measures to support EU competitiveness and reduce dependencies.

The East Asia Forum recently published my piece on #IPEF and the challenges it faces in the year ahead. The article covers what members can do to make it more durable but also what obstacles it needs to overcome, which revolve mainly around U.S. politics. The consequences could be seriously should IPEF falter: https://lnkd.in/euFesY4K #trade #indopacific #economics #ipef

Pleased to be back at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) in Berlin today to present joint research with Ferdi De Ville on autonomous EU trade Instruments and implications for developing countries. —> OPEN ACCESS here: https://lnkd.in/e4DD4-B8 Main findings: - Trade-offs between geoeconomic and development objectives vary across instruments - Sustainability-related instruments such as CBAM or EUDR are likely to be most detrimental for developing countries - EU makes little use of differential treatment to off-set such effects Main implications: - Trade-offs in EU external relations are increasing in geoeconomic era - Coherence for development increasingly relegated to the background - May undermine EU's attractiveness as a partner for Global South countries Many thanks for the invitation, Heribert Dieter! Looking forward to the discussions Dr. Bettina Rudloff Dr. Elisabeth Winter Jakob Hensing Lukas Kornher More research on the EU’s role at the trade-environment nexus will follow as part of our ENSURED research colloquium and the work with Michal Parízek on WTO reform. Stay tuned!

How can countries build resilient economies and resist economic coercion? Asia Society Policy Institute's Director of Asian Economic Affairs Shay Wester's latest article summarizes key learnings from an international conference in Lithuania. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/ePsQxTce ✖ Current challenge #1: Economic coercion is a growing challenge to the rules-based trading system, driven by the rise of geopolitical tensions and the weaponization of interdependence by major powers. ✖ Current challenge #2: Balancing economic openness and security in an era of geo-economic competition is a critical challenge, with tensions between the desire for multilateral responses and the difficulties of reform given current geopolitical realities.  ✔ Recommendation #1: Countering economic intimidation effectively requires a strategy spanning national, mini-lateral, and multilateral levels. This includes reducing strategic vulnerabilities, diversifying trade ties, strengthening partnerships, and updating trade rules.  ✔ Recommendation #2: Multilateral institutions, including the G7 and OECD, play crucial roles in norm setting, trust building, and practical coordination. ✔ Recommendation #3: The private sector is a vital partner in the fight against economic coercion and should be better represented in future conferences on this subject. Creating incentives for developing alternative sourcing strategies and de-risking are necessary.