European Union – Informal meeting of EU trade ministers (Bucharest, 21-22 February 2019)
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will visit Bucharest from February 21 to 22 to take part in the informal meeting of EU trade ministers.
During this meeting, the ministers will take stock of the EU’s efforts to reform the World Trade Organization (WTO). The minister of state will reaffirm France’s commitment to an open and rules-based multilateral trading system. He will reaffirm France’s support for the ideas proposed by the EU on modernizing the WTO, its rules and its Dispute Settlement Body.
The ministers will also discuss the EU’s trade relations with the United States and current talks relating to the road map of July 25, 2018. They will address two projects proposed by the European Commission on January 18 that offer a mandate for negotiations: one on compliance assessment, and the other on eliminating customs duties on industrial products. The minister of state will reiterate France’s demands in this regard. The ministers will also review the preparations being made by the EU to respond to new unilateral U.S. measures that would run counter to the roadmap of July 25, 2018.
The ministers will also take a look at the status of current bilateral trade negotiations.