The European Council's Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) is scheduled to meet on 2 July 2026 in Brussels to adopt its agenda and discuss the Presidency programme, multilateral and bilateral trade issues, and any other business. The meeting, set for 09:30 in the Justus Lipsius Building, will steer EU trade policy across several active fronts.
According to a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published by the Council on 26 June 2026, the committee will address WTO reform and negotiations as a multilateral priority, alongside preparations for the G20 Trade and Investment Working Group meeting in Washington on 14-15 July 2026. On the bilateral side, the agenda covers the EU-Thailand FTA negotiations that took place in Brussels from 22 to 26 June 2026, the EU-South Africa 'Clean Trade and Investment Partnership' (CTIP), and the EU-UAE FTA negotiations scheduled virtually for 6-10 July 2026. Delegations have until 12:00 on 1 July 2026 to submit items for 'Any Other Business' in writing.
The Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) is a key preparatory body for the Council's trade policy decisions, composed of senior officials from EU member states. Its discussions will shape the EU's negotiating positions and strategic direction on trade, impacting stakeholders such as EU exporters and importers, third-country trading partners, and domestic industries affected by tariff and regulatory changes. The meeting's outcomes could influence the pace and scope of ongoing FTA negotiations, particularly with Thailand and the UAE, and the EU's stance on WTO reform.
No prior coverage of this specific meeting exists in recent records. The meeting is a routine but consequential step in the EU's trade policy machinery, with follow-up expected in subsequent Council formations and possibly the European Parliament's International Trade Committee.