Antoine is our head of the Global Challenges and SDGs team since August 2021. He is a specialist in the provision of trade-related technical assistance to developing countries and his work at the IEEP now focuses on the greening of the EU’s trade policy and the coherence of the EU’s internal and external policies related to trade and sustainable development. Antoine holds a MA in European Politics from the Institute of Political Studies of Rennes. He is a native speaker of French and fluent in English. He also speaks Spanish and Italian.
International trade is a key enabler of a global and inclusive transition to a circular economy. However, inequities in power relations, digital trade capabilities, trade infrastructure, access to finance, and industrial and innovation capabilities mean that countries in the Global North are better positioned to reap the benefits of International trade than those in the Global South.
The circular economy involves a major paradigm shift, with economies transitioning away from a take-make-waste model to a sustainable model. In order to facilitate a just transition to a global circular economy the EU must seek to cooperate with its trade partners.
The circular economy involves a major paradigm shift, with economies transitioning away from a take-make-waste model to a sustainable model. The EU is a global leader and adopted its ambitious Circular Economy Action Plan under the Green Deal in 2020.
This report takes stock of the current status of the EU trade policy and proposes a set of recommendations for EU bilateral trade to make a positive contribution to sustainability globally. IEEP aims to contribute to the debate on the review of the European Commission's 15-points action plan to implement FTA TSD Chapters.
Building a more circular economy is key to sustainable growth and addressing challenges like climate change. Trade relations in particular are a crucial vessel to foster circular economy opportunities and support sustainable development in the global south.