ECOvalence Policy Forums
Unilateralisation of EU Trade Policies -- Asserting interests or deserting principles?
The European Union has recently launched multiple new trade policy measures. They are attracting considerable attention both within the EU and amongst the Union’s trading partners and resonate closely with the Union’s new “more assertive and sustainable European trade policy”, introduced early 2021. The initiatives are seen by many as aimed at increasing the Union’s strategic autonomy; defending European values and interests in a world that is increasingly geopolitical. Concerns over secure supplies have only exacerbated as a consequence of the Russian war on Ukraine. The new trade measures however also have the objective of leveraging the EU’s economic power with its trading partners in sectors beyond trade, such as labour standards and environmental sustainability. Are we thus witnessing in the EU a shift away from multilateralism towards more defensive, unilateral policies? Is such a unilateralist shift blending trade with other policies? How are these new measures portrayed by the European Commission and the European External Action Service? What are the reactions from the EU’s trading partners?
Opening panel: Unilateralisation in the EU’s trade policies
- Date: 29 September 2022
- Speakers: C. Cheremetinski (Perm Rep France), M. Keinänen (Perm Rep Finland), P. Sandler (DG Trade), Stephen Kho (partner, Akin Gump LLP).
- Moderator: Prof. J. Pauwelyn, Prof. H. Kalimo
Unilateralisation and a level playing field
- Date: 13 October 2022
- Speakers: K. De Gucht (former Trade commissioner), M.-S. Dibling (King & Spalding), E. Vermulst (VVGB), L. Elsen (DG Trade)
- Moderator: Prof. H. Kalimo
Unilateralisation and sustainability
- Date: 27 October 2022
- Speakers: S. Bartelt (Cabinet Urpilainen (INTPA)), M Bozay (Perm Rep Türkiye), Costa e Silva (Brazilian Mission to EU) .
- Moderator: Prof. F de Ville, Dr. K. Holzer
Unilateralisation and geopolitics
- Date: 10 November 2022
- Speakers: C. Brown (DG Trade), F. Hoffmeister (EEAS), J. Konguy (Huawei), M. Pelant (Perm Rep Czech Rep) (TBC).
- Moderator: Prof. Ferdi de Ville
Societal outreach
The Integration of Biodiversity in Economic Policies – On the edge of extinctions or new life in environmental-economic governance? 18 April - 30 May 2023
Biodiversity is currently declining at an unprecedented rate. In 2019, the IPBES warned of a serious risk of a sixth mass extinction of species with significant consequences for ecosystems, climate and human well-being. Four years later, COP15 has adopted the Global Biodiversity Framework, the EU has adopted its Biodiversity for 2030, and even the WTO has banned subsidies for fisheries of overfished stocks, the high seas, or illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing. However, none of the ten years Aichi biodiversity targets was reached in 2020, there is not yet an agreement on the UN Treaty for the protection of the oceans, and the dependencies and impact of human production and consumption patterns on biodiversity are still difficult to capture - both in analytical terms and concrete policies.
This BSOG Policy Forum Series reflects new legislative frameworks on how to better integrate, protect and restore biodiversity in economic policy making. Will the new policies ensure biodiversity conservation or fail again to reach their targets? How can economic and financial decision-making better grasp, value, and account biodiversity? How can the frameworks on the table be sufficiently implemented into trade, economic and financial policies in place? How do companies need to integrate biodiversity conservation in their day-to-day business, and what is the role of individual consumption?
Policy initiatives covered by the series:
- Global Biodiversity Framework
- WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
- UN Treaty on the Oceans
- EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030
- EU Taxonomy on Sustainable Investments
- EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence
- EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation
- Aligning Accounting Approaches for Nature initiative
Sessions
Biodiversity in Economic Valuation
- Date: 18 April 2023
- Speakers: Reine Spiessens (WWF Belgium), Luc Janssens de Bisthoven (CEBIOS-Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences), Stijn Neuteleers (Open University of the Netherlands & Maastricht University), David Leclère (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis)
- Moderator: Prof. Dr. Jean Hugé, VUB-Open Universiteit Nederland
Integrating Biodiversity in Trade
- Date: 2 May 2023
- Speakers: Madelaine Tuininga (European Commission, DG Trade, Head of Unit Trade and Sustainable Development), Shunta Yamaguchi (OECD, Environment Directorate, Policy Analyst Environment and Economy Integration), Marianne Kettunen (GCRF Trade, Development and the Environment Hub, Senior Policy Expert & Advisor), Saskia Bricmont (European Parliament, Greens/EFA group, MEP)
- Moderator: Simon Happersberger, PhD Researcher, BSoG
Biodiversity in a Circular Economy
- Date: 16 May 2023
- Speakers: Tim Forslund (Specialist, Nature and the economy, SITRA (The Finnish Innovation Fund)), Barbara Oberc (Senior Policy Officer, International Union for the Conservation of Nature), Anna Karamat (DG Environment, European Commission), Timo Lehesvirta (Leading Nature Expert, Metsä Group)
- Moderator: Harri Kalimo, Director of Research Centre for Environment, Economy and Energy, BSoG
- Date: 30 May 2023
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Speakers: Marianne Haahr (TNFD and Nature Finance lead at Global Canopy), Sébastien Godinot (WWF European Policy office, Economist), Arne Klug (Director of Biodiversity research, MSCI), Jessica Smith (Nature Lead at the United Nations Environment Program - Finance initiative (UNEP FI))
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Moderator: François Antoine D.Gardin, PhD Researcher, BSoG