On Thursday, 23 July from 16:00 to 17:00 CET, we held the next digital edition of Talking Europe, organised in partnership with the European Commission. This new series of online events aims to discuss the EU’s work and how it affects all Europeans.

Our guest, Sabine Weyand, Director General of DG Trade, discussed with us the EU’s trade relationships and trade agreements, as well as the geopolitical challenges coming from China and the US and how they affect trade.

The EU has an array of comprehensive trade agreements with a whole host of partners around the world, making it one of the most important players globally. Being able to negotiate with one voice, gives EU member states the ability to punch above their individual weight.

This is more important than ever at this juncture, when Trump’s ‘America First’ approach to trade and China’s increasing assertiveness make trade relations more challenging. Standing together will allow the European Union to defend its interest and its values in negotiations with its international partners and adversaries.

A replay of the live event is available here :

After the initial discussion, attendees had the opportunity to engage in a Q&A session.

We encourage participants to join the discussions on Twitter using the hashtag #TalkingEurope. When tweeting, please use the handles @EMInternational and @EU_Commission.

The event was the third of a series of discussions entitled ‘Talking Europe’, organised in partnership with the European Commission with the aim to foster debate on the European Union’s work and its affect on the everyday lives of citizens, involving stakeholders from civil society, political institutions and the wider European community.