From Ceta to Jeepa: Have sustainability safeguards improved in the EU’s trade deals?

Comparing the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade (CETA) Agreement, the EU-Singapore FTA (ESFTA), the EU-Vietnam FTA (VEFTA) and the modernised EU-Mexico Global Agreement (EMGA), the report maps the development of such chapters and the progression of their ambition. It compares the provisions related to biodivertsity, climate change, forests, fisheries and aquaculture, labour rights, and enforcement mechanisms.

The report concludes that across all specific areas there have been noteworthy improvements. However, overall ambition has not increased systematically. Since CETA, the so-called ‘gold standard’ free trade agreement, there have been no incremental and dedicated measures to ensure that sustainable development is safeguard and also improved.