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2.13. The WTO and multilateral cooperation are critical components of EU trade policy. The European Union is a founding Member of the WTO , and as the world's top trader, it plays a key role in the WTO's work and functioning. (...) More recently, it also sought to advance discussions on trade and environment and co-sponsored initiatives on a fossil fuel subsidy reform, plastics pollution and environmentally sustainable plastics trade, and trade and environmental sustainability. (...)

2.16. (...) More recently, in January 2022, the European Union and the United States agreed to resort to arbitration pursuant to Article 25 of the DSU in the 2018 disputes regarding certain measures on steel and aluminium (DS548 against the United States), and additional duties on certain products (DS559 against the European Union). (...) These developments followed the parties' announcement in October 2021 of the launch of discussions on a Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium to address the issue of overcapacity in these industries and facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions in their production processes.

2.20. (...) In addition to trade in goods, EU RTAs include almost systematically (since 2010) provisions on (...), and sustainable development (i.e. environment and labour).

2.22. The RTAs with Singapore (signed in October 2018) and Viet Nam (signed in June 2019) entered into force on 21 November 2019 and 1 August 2020, respectively. (...) Both RTAs include provisions on TBT, SPS, trade remedies, and intellectual property, as well as on issues not covered or with limited coverage under WTO Agreements such as (...), sustainable development (i.e. environment and labour), and non-tariff barriers to trade and investment in the renewable energy sector. (...)

2.24. The EU-UK RTA covers trade in goods and services but also includes, inter alia, provisions on (...), environment, (...), energy (...) and sustainable development. (...) The Agreement (...) has provisions on SPS and TBT, including specific TBT provisions on (...), and organic food, seeking to further facilitate trade for these products.

2.31. In December 2022, the European Union concluded the negotiations with Chile to modernize their existing RTA. The new RTA includes, inter alia, a chapter on digital trade, trade and sustainable development, and energy and raw materials (the latter improving market access conditions to lithium for the European Union). (...) Once in force, these agreements are expected to replace those currently in place since 2003 for Chile (...)

2.37. During the review period, the European Union took various steps to strengthen the enforcement of commitments taken by its partners under its RTAs. (...) In November 2020, it also established a new complaints mechanism, the Single-Entry Point, under which EU-based stakeholders can submit complaints regarding the non-compliance with commitments on market access and sustainability (if any) taken under the WTO, RTAs, or the GSP scheme. (...)

2.38. During this period, the Commission also reviewed and updated its 2018 action plan on the implementation and enforcement of the Chapters on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) in EU RTAs. The new strategy was published in June 2022 and seeks to strengthen the role of TSD chapters and, more broadly, of EU RTAs in promoting "green and just economic growth". (...) the Commission indicates that the forthcoming EU-New Zealand RTA is the first EU RTA that foresees the possibility of temporary sanctions (e.g. suspension of trade concessions) in case of non-compliance with a ruling regarding the violation of core TSD commitments (i.e. the ILO fundamental principles and rights at work, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change).

2.43. In September 2021, the Commission submitted to the Parliament and the Council a proposal for a regulation for a new GSP scheme. (...) The proposed regulation maintains the main characteristics of the GSP scheme and its three components but seeks to make some specific changes to better reach the intended beneficiaries, and support EU environmental objectives. It proposes, inter alia, to (...) (iii) increase the number of ratified international conventions from 27 to 32 for the GSP+ (including the Paris Agreement); (iv) extend the application of international conventions on environmental and good governance to all GSP beneficiaries (not only GSP+ as is currently the case); (...) The legislative process is ongoing, but it is expected that the Parliament and the Council will adopt the new regulation by late 2023. Once adopted, it will replace the existing one and the new GSP system would enter into force on 1 January 2024.

2.49. In addition to this arrangement, the European Union and the United States established in June 2021 the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) to better coordinate their approaches regarding trade, investment, and technology issues. The TTC comprises 10 working groups dealing with (i) technology standards; (ii) climate and clean technology; (...)