EU Trade and Investment Briefing

Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Nagamine is pictured with the Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade Mauro Petriccione at the fourth round of EU-Japan FTA/ETA negotiations in Brussels, January 2014

The European Commission has presented a new trade and investment strategy. Entitled Trade for all: towards a more responsible trade and investment policy, it is based on three key principles – effectiveness, transparency, and values.

Asia House is pleased to welcome Mauro Petriccione, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade), to brief corporate members on the new EU strategy and what it means for relations with Asia and future business opportunities.

The new strategy prioritises concluding major ongoing projects such as the EU-Japan FTA and the EU-China investment agreement, while opening the door to new negotiations in the ‘vital Asia-Pacific region’ including with the Philippines and Indonesia. The strategy makes specific references to requesting a mandate from EU Member States for free trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Petriccione is responsible for services and investment, intellectual property, public procurement, Asia and Latin America. He has represented the Commission in international trade talks, the WTO and the OECD, and he has been EU negotiator for a number of trade agreements such as the EU-Japan FTA/EPA, the EU-Vietnam FTA, as well as the economic and trade agreement with Canada.

Earlier this year Asia House hosted Mr Petriccione’s counterpart at the EU-Japan FTA/ETA negotiations Deputy Foreign Minister Yasumasa Nagamine. You can read an interview with Mr Nagamine here.

This event is open to Asia House corporate members only.

For further information, please contact: Jeremy Wimble, Business & Policy Team at jeremy.wimble@asiahouse.co.uk or call 0207 307 5439.