Tax & Legal

On 26 March 2026 the Council and the Parliament agreed to overhaul the EU customs framework, giving the Union a more modern toolbox to deal with trends such as huge increases in trade volumes, especially in e-commerce, a fast-growing number of EU standards that must be checked at the border and challenging geopolitical realities.

The European Union and Singapore have taken a significant step forward in their bilateral trade relations with the signing of a landmark Digital Trade Agreement. It has been designed to improve consumer protection, facilitate trustworthy cross-border data flows, provide legal certainty for companies wishing to engage in cross-border digital trade, and remove unjustified barriers to digital trade. In its current press release the EU Commission provides further information.

On 30 June 2022 the EU and New Zealand concluded negotiations for a Trade Agreement, which is set to open significant economic opportunities for companies and consumers on both sides. The deal also includes unprecedented sustainability commitments, including respect of the Paris Climate Agreement and core labor rights, which are enforceable through trade sanctions as a last resort.