Context and General Issues

New Free Trade Agreement The UK’s declared intention is to leave the EU single market and EU customs union. The UK government White Paper of 2nd February 2017 confirms that the UK will not be seeking membership of ...

Goods and Services

Customs Union Goods  and Regulation The general level of customs tariff is relatively low on average; approximately four per cent. Quotas are restricted in trade between WTO parties. Agricultural goods are subject to ...

Various Other FTA Matters

Areas Covered As well as covering trade in goods and services, free trade agreements commonly cover a range of other issues as technical and non-tariff barriers to trade health and welfare provisions, custom and ...

Investment Protection

TRIMs The Trade-Related Investment Measures Agreement provides that the Member States shall not apply trade-related investment measures which are inconsistent with the national treatment requirement or the ...

EU’s Existing Trade Agreements

UK’s Trade Status Post Brexit Existing EU free trade agreements cover 53 markets and one-third of the world’s economy. A specific issue is the possible loss of preferential access to those markets through trade ...

New Customs and Trade Acts

New UK Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act The core EU customs code is based on EU wide directly applicable regulations. The EU has exclusive competence in relation to customs. The UK Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act ...

Exports (Post-Brexit)

Export goods must be presented to customs. Regulations are to provide  in detail as to how exports are to be notified. Regulations may be made in relation to the operation of the export procedures. They are largely a ...

Anti-Competitive Practices

Anti-Competitive Agreements and Practices EU, UK and Irish legislation prohibit agreements, concerted practices and decisions by businesses or businesses association which have as their the object or effect, the ...

Vertical Restraints

General Vertical restraints are agreements made between persons operating at different levels in the market, such as manufacturers and distributors.  Vertical agreements come in a variety of forms including ...

Abuse of Dominant Position

Rationale Article 102 of the European Union Treaty prohibits the abuse of a dominant position within the European Union, insofar as it may affect trade between member states.  The corresponding domestic legislation ...

Market Dominance

Dominance Dominance must be considered with reference to the relevant market, once ascertained and defined.  Dominance has been defined as a position of economic strength enjoyed by an undertaking, which enables it ...

Abusive Market Behaviour

Definition of Abuse Article 102 of the EU Treaty sets out indicative examples of abuse of a dominant position.  They include; directly or indirectly, imposing unfair purchase or selling prices or other unfair trading ...

Information and Enforcement

Information on the Environment The European Union has approved the Convention designed to facilitate access by the public to environmental information, participation in the decision-making process, and access to ...

Climate Change

Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol to which the EU and its member states are parties, requires that states tackle emissions of six specified greenhouse gas.  There are biding quantified objectives for limiting and ...

Natural Environment

Nature Conservation There is a significant body of European Union driven legislation dealing with nature conservation.  This is part of the EU’s environmental function acquired in the single European act and ...

The Atmosphere

National Limits on Atmospheric Pollutants There are national limits in respect of certain atmospheric pollutants.  They apply to sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds and ammonia.  National ...

Water

Water Framework Directive The water framework directive is a framework for the protection of: Groundwater Coastal waters Inland surface waters Transitional waters. It has the objective of preventing and reducing ...

Waste

Overview of Waste There are common EU rules on treatment and dealing with waste.  The aims  are to protect the environment and health and prevent the harmful effects of waste generation and management. Member states ...

Recycling and Recovery

WEEE The so-called WEEE directives deal with waste electrical and electronic equipment.  The directive applies to: Large and small household appliances; IT and telecommunications equipment; Consumer equipment; ...

Rules of Origin Issues

Rules of Origin The purpose of rules of origin is to identify the origin of goods. The position is straight-forward when they are produced in a single state. Where they are comprised of raw materials and processes ...

Some Standardisation of Origin Rules

Background The Kyoto Convention entered into force in 1974 and was the first instrument addressing origin on an international scale. For the first time, definitions, standards and recommended practices were given ...

EU GSP Rule of Origin

The GSP The General System of Preferences (GSP) is a system of preferences granted by the EU and other states. The GSP  provides for preferential tariff treatment accorded by developed contracting parties to products ...

EEA Rules of Origin

EEA The EEA rules on origin are set out in the EEA agreement. The basic rule is that the product originates if wholly obtained in the EEA or sufficiently processed or worked in it, it will qualify for originating ...

Proving Origin & Obtaining Certs

Evidence of Origin The rules of origin are contained in the relevant agreements to which they relate. Attempts have been made to provide common procedural and administrative rule. However, the specific rules ...

EU Market Surveillance

EU Market Surveillance (Non-Food) Market surveillance is designed to ensure that non-food products on the EU market do not endanger European consumers and workers. It seeks to ensure the protection of other public ...
error: Content is protected !!