EU trade offcials say negotiations will continue in the wake of Brexit

摘要

The European Parliament discussed how Brexit might have an efect on EU trade policy this week, both in terms of trade deals currently under negotiation and those already in place. Cecilia Malmstr?m, European trade commissioner assured the parliament that EU trade negotiations would continue on the basis of current mandates adopted by all 28 EU member states. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) disa- greed about the approach to take. Some argued that after the Brexit vote it could not be a question of “business as usual,” because the UK market had been important for EU trade partners but also because the negotiation mandates refected the interests of the United Kingdom. Others expressed the view that all EU member states would need to make more efort to advance EU trade policy as the relative weight of the European Union vis-à-vis the United States, China, and India would decrease after withdrawal of the British.