European Union Trade Commissioner De Gucht will travel to Brazil and Argentina on September 13-16, 2010 to explore advancement of the ongoing EU-Mercosur trade negotiations. EU-Mercosur free trade negotiations were relaunched in May 2010 after being suspended in 2004 without agreement.
In the September 10, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted:
During a recent international seminar on consumer product safety and market surveillance, the Organization of American States and the Pan-American Health Organization announced a new platform called the “Safe Consumption and Health Network,” which will be an inter-agency web portal that provides a regional mechanism for exchanging information on recalls, mandatory and voluntary standards, best practices on market surveillance, etc.
The World Trade Organization announces that the U.S. and the European Union have jointly requested to suspend arbitration for 12 months in the dispute "United States -- Laws, Regulations and Methodology for Calculating Dumping Margins (“Zeroing") - Recourse to Article 22.6 of the DSU by the United States" (DS294). (May have to click on source document twice for proper viewing.)
The European Commission is announcing new regulations, effective January 1, 2011, that will base shipping company inspection frequency on the number of deficiencies detected in inspections of their ships, involve EU-wide harmonization of port state control inspection standards, and coordinated control of all EU port state safety inspections. The EC also plans to "name and shame" shipping companies with poor safety records.
Members of European Parliament are calling for more transparency in the ongoing negotiations for a global anti-counterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA) and have asked the European Commission to make all related documents public. Parliament adds that ACTA should not restrict access to legal, affordable and safe medicines.
In the September 9, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted:
The European Parliament has voted to revise legislation on animals used for scientific purposes. The revised legislation, first proposed by the European Commission in 2008, will strengthen the protection of animals still needed for research and safety testing. Among the most significant change is the requirement to perform ethical evaluations prior to authorization of projects using animals and the upgrading of housing and care standards. FAQ is available here.
The European Chemical Agency announced that the Committee for Risk Assessment has agreed with and adopted a proposal from Ireland to harmonize the classification of TDCP (Tris[2-chloro-1-(chloromethyl)ethyl] phosphate) across Europe as a carcinogen. This substance, which is a flame retardant, currently has no harmonized classification at EU level. The final decision will be made by the European Commission.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a reminder on its proposal to enhance import controls on food and food ingredients in the Non Federally Registered Sector (NFRS). These products are regulated solely under the Food and Drugs Act, and account for 70% of the food products available in the Canadian marketplace. Comments are due by October 4, 2010. (See ITT's Online Archives or 08/20/10 news, 10082019, for earlier BP summary.)