robfranciseu.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Posting this quickly before it goes out of date in about 5 minutes 🙄 borderlex.net/2025/02/27/u...

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

US 25% #tariff threat: “We’re still in the early stages of figuring out what’s happening here,” Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said today Full story by @robfranciseu.bsky.social ⤵️ borderlex.net/2025/02/27/u...

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Commission scales back requirements for carbon border measure and CSDDD in attempt to claw back EU's global competitiveness - more by me below 👇🏻 borderlex.net/2025/02/26/c...

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

It's bonkers that the commission has published the clean industrial deal and the omnibus legislation on the same day. Not sure anyone can cope (least of all the commisison itself)

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

Primer on this week’s commission visit to New Delhi, which will include a meeting between @marossefcovic.bsky.social and Indian trade minister Piyush Goyal in Mumbai. It’s good to talk, even if expectations are muted. More by me 👇🏻 borderlex.net/2025/02/25/w...

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

EU member states not expected to reach agreement on customs reform until end of 2025 at the earliest -latest by yours truly 👇🏻 borderlex.net/2025/02/25/c...

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

Constantly googling "Maroš Šefčovič" to get all the accents right 🙋‍♂️

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

EU trade commissioner @marossefcovic.bsky.social will meet his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in Mumbai on Saturday for more detailed discussions on the FTA. “But we shouldn’t expect any major announcements” according to a senior EU official

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas announced that the bloc's MOU with Rwanda on critical minerals is "under review". I don't really know what this means practically though - anyone know?

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

Today in football and politics: The homes of two fallen giants of German football, Schalke and Kaiserslautern (11 German championships and 7 cup wins between them) are the two places in former West Germany where the AfD became largest party (list vote).

submitted 4 days ago • 6 comments

Israel FM Gideon Sa'ar on suspending the association agreement with the EU: "it's legitimate that everyone will have his own view...We get used to face criticism. It's okay, as long as criticism is not connected to the legitimisation, demonisation or double standards"

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

EU foreign ministers will discuss today whether to suspend the EU’s critical minerals MOU with Rwanda. MEPs support a suspension whilst the unrest in the DRC is continuing. More below borderlex.net/2025/02/13/m...

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

"Consumer and digital rights groups from the EU and United States urged Brussels to resist calls to water down its digital and competition policies amid threats from Washington of “reciprocal” tariffs," ✍️ @robfranciseu.bsky.social ↓ #EUUS #Trump #Tariffs #Digitaltrade borderlex.net/2025/02/24/t...

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

Here is a preview of what's to come this week in #EUtrade, #UKtrade and at the #WTO 👇 ✔️ EU in India and UK resume FTA talks ✔️ #EUIsrael association council meeting ✔️ WTO dispute settlement And more... By @robfranciseu.bsky.social and @chrishorseman.bsky.social borderlex.net/2025/02/24/w...

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

EU trade commissioner to meet UAE trade minister on Wednesday - do we think they will announce the launch of new trade negotiations?

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

Great to speak to @robfranciseu.bsky.social about the findings from our BCG Global Trade Report and what they mean for EU external trade.

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

This week in EU trade news you may have missed: 📌MEPs in a hurry to adopt increased tariffs on Russian fertilisers 📌Commission struggles to engage with US on AI chips 📌European prosecutor arrests suspects in biodiesel fraud borderlex.net/2025/02/21/w...

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

2 interesting takeaways from the Q&A with @marossefcovic.bsky.social in Washington 📌The EU is considering lowering tariffs for cars "and industrial products in general" 📌The EU could potentially agree to reducing tariffs on cars to zero.

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

The commission wants to simplify a raft of current corporate legislation, including the #CSDDD but not everyone is happy. My overview on where things stand with the "omnibus" proposal 👇 borderlex.net/2025/02/20/b...

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

The art of the deal commission-style: "The EU is interested in making deals – deals that foster fairness, burden-sharing and mutual benefits" says @marossefcovic.bsky.social re: US tariffs

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

In the commission's agri-food plan: 📌Mirror measures are back! (for now - and only for fertilisers and animal welfare) 📌A plan to ban banned fertilisers (yes you read that right) 📌An anti-coercion instrument for food? 📌EU to produce more protein borderlex.net/2025/02/19/e...

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Intriguing proposal in the commission's "vision" for agriculture of an agri-food anti-coercion instrument, which it calls a "Unity Safety Net". What actions does this USN include? I asked. EC Answer: don't know. Is this a new budget line? Also, don't know. I did my best. Sorry.

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

Commission is having problems "finding the right person to get our messages across to" when it comes to the US export restrictions on AI chips. EC is "trying to understand impact of measures with member states" said the commission's Peter Sandler. Restrictions due to kick in on 15 May.

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

May god grant me the confidence and self-regard of retired commission officials speaking at Brussels events

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

Trump's steel tariffs will not hurt all EU countries in a similar fashion • Around half of EU member states, incl. Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France will be hard hit • Minimal impact on many other states (esp. in eastern Europe) will complicate emergence of unified EU response

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

Europe’s slow growth is due to a geopolitical shift: the open global trading environment that once fueled its competitiveness is gone, says @timfigures.bsky.social in a new exclusive interview with @robfranciseu.bsky.social👇 #EUtrade #geopolitics borderlex.net/2025/02/18/i...

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

An EU-Philippines FTA represents "an unmissable opportunity to optimise trade and investment cooperation with the EU" says the Phillipines ambassador to the EU. "An FTA would maintain trade preferences under GSP and expand scope of market access." Trade negotiations recommenced last year

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

🌐 How should the European Union respond to Trump’s ‘reciprocal tariffs’? ↔️ Ignacio Garcia Bercero analyses the threat posed by 'reciprocal tariffs' to the rules-based trading system. Will the EU be willing to defend rules-based trade? 🔗 Read now! https://buff.ly/3QmlIxO #EconSky

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

Netherlands opposes the commission's plan for tackling low value products (abolishing 'de minimis' etc) and has come up with another plan - latest by me below 👇🏻 borderlex.net/2025/02/18/n...

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

Representative from commission's tax DG says that the future EU customs authority and data hub will help solve "complications" from doing away with the 'de minimis' exemption. "As soon as they are working things will be much better because we will have organised EU level risk management" he says

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

A cheery headline for our weekly preview piece this Monday morning borderlex.net/2025/02/17/w...

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

It’s been a long week in #EUtrade, here is what happened👇 The 🇪🇺& 🇲🇽 hope to sign a modernised trade pact this summer, the commission set definitive anti-dumping duties on 🇨🇳 biodiesel imports and much more... By @robfranciseu.bsky.social and @ianadreyer.bsky.social borderlex.net/2025/02/14/w...

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

European Commission says it views Trump's "reciprocal' tariffs as "a step in the wrong direction". "The EU maintains some of the lowest tariffs in the world and sees no justification for increased US tariffs on its exports."

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

Trump press conference on reciprocal tariffs at 7pm Brussels time

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

In an otherwise predictable parliament debate on the EU-Mercosur pact, a nice line from @marossefcovic.bsky.social -“I was surprised that Manon Aubry asked me how I dared to come here to defend this agreement. I came because you invited me. And I will always be here when you invite me”

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

Commission technical lead on the EU-Mexico agreement Paolo Garzotti says commission will publish proposal for signature "this side of the summer". Doesn't see any problems for ratificiation given it builds on a successful agreement

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

Chair of European Parliament trade committee Bernd Lange says it should be possible to find some agreement with US, maybe on car tariffs - "because a trade war is in no-one's interest" - but opposes any negotiation with US on EU legislation, i.e. digital laws - "that is clear"

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

European #steel industry wants permanent import tariffs after #Trump's 25% #tariffs on steel and aluminium, but EU’s #aluminium industry urges negotiations with 🇺🇸 Difficult negotiations lie ahead for Brussels 🇪🇺 By @robfranciseu.bsky.social & @ianadreyer.bsky.social borderlex.net/2025/02/11/t...

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

"Trade experts say structuring the reciprocal #tariffs that Trump wants poses big challenges for his team, which may explain why the latest duties were not announced on Tuesday." www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

submitted 16 days ago • 5 comments

EU ambassador to the US Jovita Neliupšienė says there are channels of communication between the EU and US even though US government reps still need to be confirmed by the senate. On whether the president of the commission will visit the US - “we are always thinking about a visit” she says

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

💡EU tech commissioner @HennaVirkkunen reminds Trump that lifting the US' curbs on AI chip exports to some EU member states would help reduce the US' trade deficit with the EU (measure introduced by Biden tbf)

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

Just make tariff a verb and be done with it

submitted 17 days ago • 2 comments

A WH fact sheet on the tariffs is now up too.

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

The EU's response to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium borderlex.net/2025/02/11/e...

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

EU trade commissioner @marossefcovic.bsky.social says the EU will respond to Trump's steel and aluminium tarfifs "in firm and proportionate way by countermeasures". Says commission is "currently assessing the scope of the measures announced overnight"

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments