CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies)’s Post

Amidst the many developments on #Ukraine this summer, this might have been largely overshadowed: the suspension of the Autonomous #Trade Measures #ATMs and the review of the #EU-Ukraine #DCFTA. If you missed it, here’s my freshly published commentary on what this review means and why it matters—especially for agri-trade, which has been heavily (and unnecessarily) politicised. As usual, thanks to Karel Lannoo for his useful review, our editor Daniel Cassidy-Deketelaere (he/him), and our editorial & comms team Martina Giani (she/her) Julien Libert for their support. For those interested in Ukraine’s agriculture, check out our Task Force on Ukraine’s #Agricultural Recovery—we’re still welcoming members until the end of the year if you’d like to contribute to shaping the ideas about Ukraine's #reconstruction in agri sector. Link in the comments.

🌐 The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) entered into force in 2014 and now provides the only global legally-binding agreement concerning regulation of the international transfer of conventional arms. 🖊️ Read our report considering the next decade of the ATT, the need for interagency cooperation and emerging challenges, including the impact of new technology .  👇 🤝 Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs I UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office #armstrade #weapons

GA Knowledge | EU Flash News 🌍The European Union has reinforced its support for Ukraine following the most severe missile and drone attack on Kyiv since last summer — which also struck the EU Delegation, fortunately without casualties. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned Russia’s actions, confirming the upcoming 19th sanctions package and ongoing efforts to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction. 🤝On the trade front, the EU and the US have agreed on a joint framework to stabilise transatlantic trade, setting a 15% cap on tariffs for key sectors such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and timber, while introducing preferential terms for strategic products from 1 September. 🌱The Commission has also opened consultations on: Improving the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) methodology; Revising State aid guidelines for struggling companies; The EU Electrification Action Plan and Heating & Cooling Strategy; Shaping the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and AI-related regulations. Read more👉: https://lnkd.in/ejCH8v6H #GA #GAHereThereAndEverywhere #AllOverTheWorld

White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro has stirred another controversy by calling the Russia-Ukraine conflict "Modi's war," blaming India’s continued oil trade with Moscow for prolonging the conflict. In an interview with Bloomberg, Navarro accused India of undercutting global efforts to isolate Russia. He claimed that India's discounted oil purchases from Russia are indirectly forcing the US and Europe to fund Ukraine’s defence. https://lnkd.in/ghE8yaF2

❗New Research❗ This article by Giulia Tercovich and Hugo Meijer explores EU foreign policy under pressure - through arms embargo debates, Taiwan tensions & member state divides - revealing how Europe seeks strategic autonomy amid great power competition. Read https://lnkd.in/e-zKfRqM VUB Research European Research Council (ERC)

Daily Intel: September 09, 2025 • EU and US officials meet to coordinate new sanctions and tariffs against Russia, focusing on oil, banks, and asset management as part of the latest round of pressure over Ukraine. • Russia launches a major missile and drone strike on Kyiv's government hub, interpreted as a signal to European leaders considering troop deployment to Ukraine after a ceasefire. • EU negotiators arrive in Delhi amid rising India-US trade tensions, aiming to accelerate the stalled India-EU FTA negotiations in the face of global tariff realignments. • The European Commission advances the Clean Industrial Deal (CID), seeking to decarbonize industries and strengthen EU competitiveness and climate targets. • EU opens applications for an Expert Group on Forced Labour, preparing for new regulations on products made with forced labour by 2027. • European Parliament debates security guarantees and a just peace for Ukraine, highlighting continued high-level focus on the conflict. • EU explores reforms in customs policy and considers further cohesion measures amid concerns over competitiveness and trade burdens for companies. • Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS summits drive Eurasian realignment, with China’s global vision and multilateral initiatives in focus. • US officials push for direct Putin-Zelenskyy talks, but the Kremlin is yet to respond; Trump expresses confidence in a negotiated settlement. #EU #EuropeanGeopolitics #Europe #NATO #BRICS #SCO #Putin #Zelenskyy #EuroScope

In this week’s Factum Perspective, Madhuka Rukmalgama traces the ripple effects of Washington’s new tariff regime on India—from domestic fallout to a cautious diplomatic reset with China—and what it may reveal about the changing architecture of global power. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g8y4RDEZ #Factum #TheBalancedAnalysis

✈️ Which industries stayed and which fled Russia after the invasion of Ukraine? https://lnkd.in/dtewcW7v Cecilia Smitt Meyer and Maiting Zhuang of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics / Östekonomiska Institutet (SITE) investigate market exits across sectors. 📘 Learn more about the impact of sanctions on Russia and explore SITE’s project Sanctions on Russia & the Russian Economy: https://lnkd.in/dEQ-5RpF #FREENetwork #LeaveRussia #KSEInstitute #sanctionsrussia

🔔More work from the CNA team on #Russia–#China cooperation 🤝🌏 🇷🇺🇨🇳 For this one, one of our Russia experts, Julian Waller , dives into “wedging strategies”—how states try to drive wedges between rivals to gain strategic advantage. #CNA

⚙️ Can Belarus sustain growth when state-owned enterprises dominate investment? https://lnkd.in/dMY7kbSk 🔎 Anatoly Kharitonchik of BEROC analyzes shifts in employment, exports, and trade since 2019. 📚 Explore more policy briefs on the private sector and Belarus’s economic development: https://lnkd.in/dbXXjC8t 📘 Learn more about how sanctions affect the Russian and Belarusian economies through SITE’s project Sanctions on Russia & the Russian Economy: https://lnkd.in/d7tg_wNb #FREENetwork #BEROC #Belarus #sanctions