Plans to have all EU and US legislation scrutinised by an unelected body as part of the EU-US trade agreement have been criticised by Irish MEP Paul Murphy and members of the EU’s own advisory group.

An EU commissioner is to stand trial over alleged tax evasion.

Financial services have loomed as the first serious stumbling block ahead of the second round of negotiations on a EU-US free trade agreement.

Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper is seeking to break a deadlock in trade talks with the EU by stepping up his part in negotiations, people familiar with the strategy said.

Planned EU curbs on Chinese solar panels would last less than half as long as normal trade protection, marking a victory not just for China but for Germany, the UK, and other free-market proponents in the EU’s biggest dispute of its kind.

Cheap imports of honey are flooding into the European Union from China, where different production and labour costs apply.

The European Union is to impose anti-dumping levies on imports of Chinese solar panels.

The European Union is considering trade action against Bangladesh, which has preferential access to EU markets for its garments, in order to pressure Dhaka to improve safety standards after a building collapse killed hundreds of factory workers.

AMERICAN businesses are urging the Taoiseach to kickstart negotiations on a free trade agreement between the US and EU while Ireland holds the presidency.

The 5% cut imposed on Ireland’s 2013 CAP allocation will be retained in 2014, under transitional arrangements announced by the European Commission yesterday.

The proposed EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership free trade agreement could boost the economy by €800m per annum in increased GDP, and help create 4,000 jobs.

The market for the €2bn Irish beef and livestock sector is being put at serious risk by ongoing EU/Canadian trade negotiations, says IFA president John Bryan.

After years of battling each other on trade issues, US and European officials are contemplating joining forces in what could be the world’s largest free trade pact in an attempt to boost their struggling economies.

The EU has asked Russian authorities to lift their ban on an annual €75m export trade in live pigs, cattle, sheep, and goats from the EU.

The European Union has criticised Russia’s decision to prohibit imports of pigs, cattle, sheep and goats from the 27-nation bloc and said it will use “all opportunities” to ensure the ban is lifted.

The European Union, the United States and Japan have complained to the World Trade Organisation saying China is limiting its export of rare earths, minerals vital to the production of high-tech goods.

China has been accused of breaking world trading rules by limiting its exports of materials vital for high-tech industries.

THE eurozone’s misery stems largely from a political response which has been “too little, too late” and Europe must find the courage to do what is needed, the EU’s trade chief said yesterday, warning it was now “two to midnight”.

IRELAND received more support than it expected when it flagged the dangers of a trade agreement with Mercosur that does not take sufficient account of the needs of agriculture.

PERHAPS the EU is not really serious about the environment. Farmers worry about EU measures to cut greenhouse gases, but wonder if they may be part of a political bluff mounted in Brussels for reasons unknown to the average punter.

Global trade chiefs meeting in Switzerland spoke today of their optimism that a new deal to liberalise international commerce can be finalised, but offered little in the way of concrete progress to indicate they can reach agreement before the end of the year.

European Union officials today signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and South Korea.

A VISIT by European Union Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to Brazil and Argentina for talks raises a red flag for Ireland regarding South American beef imports to Europe, it was claimed yesterday.

The EU trade chief apologised today for blaming Jews and the “Jewish lobby” in Washington for blocking Mideast peace.

The European Union will appeal today against a landmark trade ruling that found it gave plane maker Airbus a wide range of illegal subsidies in its battle with US competitor Boeing.

THE Government’s “serious concerns” about the possible impact that a trade agreement with the Mercosur group of South American countries might have on the Irish beef sector have been conveyed to the European Commission.

THE Government is undertaking a trade review and exploring closer links with emerging markets such as Brazil and at the same time will push scientists to work more closely with industry in a bid to increase productivity.

Irish MEPs have raised serious concerns over beef talks with EU trade chief today in Strasbourg.

THE European Commission has pledged to address any adverse impact on agriculture during relaunched trade talks with the Mercosur group of countries.

MEPs joined Europe's new president Herman Van Rompuy today in calling for a stronger EU response to global disasters.

More than 1,100 EU citizens are among the missing in the Haiti earthquake, the European Commission said today.

PROPOSALS on corporate taxation, which are vehemently being rejected by Ireland, will be on the EU table as soon as possible, the commissioner-designate for taxation told MEPs.

Ireland has secured the Research and Innovation portfolio in the European Commission.

THE European Union said yesterday it will not remove sanctions targeting Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and his loyalists or resume development aid until more is done to implement a year-old power-sharing agreement andrestore human rights.

Belgium is making a renewed push to convince its European Union counterparts to send peacekeepers to bolster the UN force in eastern Congo.

YES campaigners have being doing their best to obscure, minimise or deny that a whole-scale reordering of our political system would come about should the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty come into effect.

A European Union deadline for Serbia to surrender war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic has expired with no sign of the former army commander, threatening the nation’s efforts to join the bloc.

European Union talks with Iran’s foreign minister failed to make progress in resolving the West’s stand-off with the Islamic republic over its nuclear programme, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said today.

Iranian and European officials today said they were eager to find a diplomatic solution to resolve the stand-off over Iran’s nuclear energy programme, which Iran’s foreign minister insisted was not being used to develop weapons.

Iran’s foreign minister meets with European officials today amid new diplomatic efforts to end the stand-off with the West over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Some Nato members shifted away from a confrontation with the US today, welcoming Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s explanation of Washington’s views on secret prisons and the treatment of terrorist suspects.

Turkey and the EU moved closer today to resolving differences over Turkish recognition of Cyprus, the key dispute preventing Ankara from accepting an offer to open membership talks next October.

Belgium is dispatching a special envoy to central Africa in an attempt to calm rising tension in the region following the weekend massacre of at least 160 refugees at a UN camp in Burundi.

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt tonight claimed victory in the country's elections.