Trade – European Neighbourhood Monitor

Malaysia and the European Union Near Completion of Free Trade Agreement

Malaysia and the European Union are in the final stages of concluding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), alongside a broader partnership framework intended to enhance economic cooperation and bilateral relations. Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Mohamad Hasan, indicated that progress has accelerated as the EU increasingly views Southeast Asia as a strategically important region. This shift comes […]

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Energy Markets Drive Palm Oil Higher, Reshaping Global Trade Pressures

Indopacific / ENM

Palm oil prices are rising again, but the movement is about more than commodity cycles. What is unfolding is a convergence of energy markets, biofuel demand, and increasingly complex global trade rules. In Malaysia, palm oil futures have been trending upward, supported by higher crude oil prices and a weaker ringgit. These factors are making

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India Balances Brussels and Washington in Parallel Trade Deals

Indopacific / ENM

India has moved to deepen its economic ties with both the European Union and the United States, advancing two significant but structurally different trade arrangements within weeks of each other. While both initiatives signal New Delhi’s intention to expand global trade partnerships, the agreements differ in ambition, scope and political context. Great news for India

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EUDR delay seen as exposing the limits of the “Brussels effect”

Environment / ENM

The European Union’s decision to delay the implementation of its deforestation law is increasingly seen as a stark illustration of how difficult it has become for Brussels to project its regulatory power beyond its borders. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), first proposed in 2021, was intended to prevent products linked to deforestation from entering the bloc’s

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EU Finalises Delay to Deforestation Rules

European Union / ENM

The European Union has reached a political agreement to delay and amend its flagship Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), thereby also confirming that books, newspapers and other printed materials will no longer fall under the law’s requirements. After intensive trilogue negotiations on December 4, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission agreed

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Putin Takes Responsibility for Huge Truck Queues on Russia-Kazakhstan Border

Central Asia / ENM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly acknowledged that he personally ordered the intensified customs controls that have caused weeks-long traffic jams involving tens of thousands of trucks at the Russian-Kazakhstan border. Speaking at a press conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on November 27, Putin told reporters that the measures were necessary to stop massive illegal imports

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EU governments back one-year pause and potential reopening of deforestation law

Environment / ENM

EU governments have endorsed a proposal to postpone the implementation of the bloc’s deforestation rules for an additional year and to introduce a mechanism that could allow the legislation to be revised as early as next spring, according to diplomats briefed on the talks. The decision, taken during negotiations on Wednesday, opens the door to

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India–EU Tensions Rise Over CBAM

India / ENM

Tensions between India and the European Union have intensified in recent weeks as New Delhi raises concerns about the growing number of EU environmental regulations affecting trade, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). India’s commerce minister warned at the end of October that complying with the expanding list

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U.S. and Qatar Warn EU Over CSDDD

Middle East / ENM

In a rare show of alignment, the United States and Qatar have jointly warned the European Union that its proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) could pose an “existential threat” to global energy affordability and security. The two nations argue that the EU’s plan to impose extraterritorial fines for non-compliance with environmental and human

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EU to Exempt Small Farmers from Deforestation Rules Amid Growing Global Backlash

Trade / ENM

The European Union is preparing to ease the burden of its landmark anti-deforestation law by exempting small farmers and foresters from some of its most stringent reporting requirements. The move, confirmed by multiple EU officials involved in negotiations, marks a major adjustment to one of the bloc’s most ambitious green policies — and comes as

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