Civil Society Dialogue on trade negotiations with the Gulf

• Date: 24/03/2026, 15:30-17:30
• Location: WEBEX and Charlemagne Building 003/221

Meeting details

Registration closes on Wednesday 18 March at 12:00

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At this meeting, the European Commission will present and discuss with civil society the state of play of ongoing free trade agreement negotiations with the United Arab Emirates, as well as the free trade agreement scoping talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council. Additionally, there will be a presentation on the inception report of the Sustainability Impact Assessment accompanying these talks. The meeting will provide an opportunity for an exchange of views with civil society organisations on the EU’s trade policy with the Gulf region and the road ahead. 

Speakers

Lead speaker

• Léon Delvaux, Director, Neighbouring Countries, Trade in Goods and Industrial Policy in the Directorate-General for Trade, European Commission
• Dr. Koen Berden, Trade Impact B.V. 

Moderator

• Civil Society Coordination - Transparency, Civil society and Communication Unit, Directorate-General for Trade, European Commission

Agenda

1. Introduction.
2. Update on the EU-UAE FTA negotiations and the EU-GCC scoping talks.
3. Presentation by the Trade Impact team of the draft Inception Report
4. Open discussion with stakeholders.

This is a hybrid meeting. We would be grateful if participants could arrive 30 minutes in advance. There will be a welcome desk in the security screening area of the Charlemagne building where IDs will be checked for security clearance. Please bring with you the confirmation of your V-pass and an ID card or passport.

Webex access code and password will be sent to registered participants. We would be grateful if participants could launch their WEBEX connection at least 30 minutes in advance of the meeting so that any technical problems can be arranged in time before the meeting.

Related content

• Draft Inception Report and Annex – March 2026
• Terms of Reference – July 2025
• Meeting recording