Week Ahead: WTO environment initiatives, procurement, Energy Charter Treaty, Kimberley

The WTO is showing signs of life post MC12 postponement… and more trade news to expect in what will be a packed week in trade in Europe ahead of the Christmas break. [...]
Kimberley process – parliament’s Oral Question

On the agenda of the European Parliament’s plenary this week there will also be the discussion of the implementation of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for conflict diamonds, based on an oral question tabled by the Chair of the Parliament’s International Trade Committee Bernd Lange.

The debate will be followed by the likely adoption of a non-legislative resolution on Thursday. The Kimberley Process is a commitment to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain and includes 59 countries, one of whom is the European Union. Decisions are taken by consensus. Lange’s question is wide-ranging in scope and covers the EU’s implementation of the scheme, its approach to reforming the KP, and its cooperation with diamond-producing countries. The MEP also asks how the Commission plans to align KP implementation “with the upcoming due diligence legislation”, now expected at the end of March 2022.