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Europe, International Trade and Development What's New

UK National Reform Programme (NRP) - a stakeholder survey

As part of the EU's Lisbon economic reform process, EU Member States adopted National Reform Programmes in Autumn 2005. Annual progress reports have been published since October 2006 and the UK is now in the process of compiling the 2008 NRP. This will record progress made over the last 12 months and will be published in the autumn. For further information, or if you wish to comment on activities in the UK connected with the Lisbon economic reform process, please go to the National Reform Programme page.

BERR's Europe & World Trade Directorate Launches New Publication Entitled: Europe: It's Your Business - The  Economic Case

To coincide with an event on Europe for key business stakeholders on 14 January 2008, BERR published a pamphlet (Europe: It's your business) that explains why the economic success of Europe is important to the UK and how the EU contributes to European growth, including some of its notable successes to date.  In addition, it also looks at some of the prospects for further growth opportunities in the future and the importance of the EU in a global context.  To view the pamphlet please click on the link below:

Europe: it's your business. The economic case (3226KB)

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)

On 10 December the European General Affairs and External Relations Council met and, by Qualified Majority, adopted the Economic Partnership Agreement Regulation. This Regulation formalises the market access offer of 100% duty free quota free market access to the European Union with improved rules of origin for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries that have signed WTO-compatible agreements.

To date (19 January 2008), 35 countries have signed goods-only Economic Partnership Agreements. For further details please use the link below.

BERR Launches Consultation on Implementation of EU Services Directive - 5 November 2007

This consultation seeks views on the implementation of the EU Services Directive in the UK. It does not seek views on the Directive itself, but on the way we propose to meet the various obligations.

The Services Directive aims to make it easier for businesses both to set up in other Member States of the EU and to provide services cross-borders or on a temporary basis. It will achieve this through:

• Setting up Points of Single Contact in each Member State through which providers will be able to find the information and complete the formalities necessary to do business there;
• Facilitating greater co-operation between regulatory and authorisation bodies across the EU in the supervision of service providers;
• Engendering consumer confidence in cross-border service provision through greater access to information and other measures;
• Abolishing restrictive legislation and practices that hinder service providers

For further details and to view Consultation click following link:

Implementing the Services Directive: consultation document on implementing the EU Services Directive in the UK (2416KB)

DFID and BERR: New Trade Policy Unit

The Department for International Development and BERR have joined forces in the new Trade Policy Unit (TPU) which went live on 15 October 2007. The unit was formed in response to Gordon Brown's call for a better alignment between the UK's aid and trade policies. The TPU will bring together trade and development experts to ensure UK competitiveness and market access, fight for better deals for poorer countries and for better support for those wishing to trade themselves out of poverty. It will bridge the two departments, tapping into the best skills, networks and resources available to promote this agenda at home, internationally and through activities in partner countries. Further details can be found on the Trade Policy Unit page.

EU Services Directive Implementation

The implementation of the Services Directive is well underway. A seminar took place last month to update stakeholders on where we have got to so far, in particular as regards the Point of Single Contact (PSC) . BERR commissioned an exercise in April 2007 to try and capture the requirements for users and contributors to the UK PSC. The report considers issues such as scope, content, charging, outsourcing, language and much more. The full report is available by clicking on this link. Readers are invited to send comments on the report's recommendations or the PSC generally by email to servicesconsultation@berr.gsi.gov.uk. For more details on the Services Directive please see our Economics and Evidence page.

UK Government Launches report on Review of Single Market on 30 January 2007

BERR, together with HM Treasury, have issued a report "The Single Market: A vision for the 21st century" to feed into the Commission's current review of the Single Market. The report outlines the challenges that the Single Market faces - globalisation, climate change, demographic change - and the principles that should be followed to ensure that the Single Market continues to deliver for Europe's consumers and businesses. It makes recommendations for specific actions that the EU should take to generate further substantial benefits.

For full details click on our Single Market page.

Trade News:  UK International Trade Single Window (ITSW) Launched

A new One Stop shop simplifying international trade procedures for UK business was launched in November 2006 on the Businesslink national website. ITSW is a cross government project led  by BERR, Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and Department for Environment,Food & Rural Affairs(DEFRA) which is being implemented by Businesslink.