EU Government Notices for Dec 18-20
The European Union issued the following trade-related releases Dec. 18-20 (notices of most significance will be given separate headlines):
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- EU-Singapore trade deal. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Singapore's Minister of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang, today completed final negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and Singapore. Singapore will accept to import European manufactured cars based on EU technical and safety standards and approvals. The deal will simplify rules to boost trade and investment in environmental technologies and promote green public tendering. Singapore is the EU's 13th largest trading partner overall and it's largest in the Association of South-East Nations (ASEAN). (here)
- A paperless EU Customs Union. The Internal Market Committee of the European Parliament is supporting a paperless EU Customs Union in an effort to avoid the complications having some countries file in paper and some electronically. The committee also amended a proposed customs "action plan" to help member states to acquire high-tech equipment such as scanners. (here)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina’s WTO accession. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mirko Šarovic, signed a deal on accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This agreement is a key step for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path to becoming a Member and provides for the lowering of tariffs for trade in goods and for the opening of services markets upon accession. Bosnia and Herzegovina applied for WTO membership on May 11, 1999. (here)
- International trade agreements and EU rights. The European Commission announced a proposal for a new framework to enhance the EU's ability to enforce its rights in the international trading system. Ensuring the EU's trade partners respect the agreed trade rules is essential to make trade agreements work for the EU economy.The framework would enable the Commission to take executive action when the trade interests of the EU are at stake, rather than reacting on a case by case basis when the EU rights are not respected.The proposal will now be discussed under the ordinary legislative procedure. (here)
- Data protection and trade. The EU approves New Zealand’s personal data protection standards in a move to boost trade between the two. The decision recognizes that New Zealand’s data protection standards are compatible with those of the EU and that they ensure adequate protection of EU citizens' personal data. The approval gives EU business legal security as well. New Zealand is a prominent member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC). (here)
- Updated ECHA List. The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) has updated its Candidate List with 54 more Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs). The list now contains a total of 138 substances, all of which have been determined to be either carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic, and/or have respiratory sensitizing properties. A specific procedure will be followed to decide whether the substances should also be included in the List of substances subject to authorization. (here)