I don’t think that violates free trade. Trump may think so, but that’s on him.
Putting a tariff on foreign cars certainly violates free trade, because it discriminates between domestic and foreign sellers. But requiring e.g. catalytic converters on all cars sold in your country, domestic and foreign alike, is okay. Banning leaded gasoline in your country is likewise okay, as long as you don’t discriminate on the origin of that gasoline. Countries should be allowed to pass laws like that.
ETA: looking at actual history, it seems different European countries banned leaded gasoline at different times, and the EU was already well established by then. Which seems to confirm my point.
In practice, it’s all a matter of trade negotiations. Trade deals specify on what grounds countries can pass goods from being sold. Plenty of trade agreements then have clauses for Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement to enforce what was negotiated which reduces countries sovereignty to just do what they want.
Trump did get the EU to allow US goods to be sold that were previously blocked form being sold because of regulation like car safety regulation.
EU’s rules are quite complex. The general rule is in Article 34 of the TFEU:
Quantitative restrictions on imports and all measures having equivalent effect shall be prohibited between Member States.
The provisions of Articles 34 and 35 shall not preclude prohibitions or restrictions on imports, exports or goods in transit justified on grounds of public morality, public policy or public security; the protection of health and life of humans, animals or plants; the protection of national treasures possessing artistic, historic or archaeological value; or the protection of industrial and commercial property. Such prohibitions or restrictions shall not, however, constitute a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between Member States.
Then there are plenty of more specific EU directives ChatGPT lists Regulation 2019⁄515 and Directive 1999/74/EC as mattering to the egg question.
I don’t think that violates free trade. Trump may think so, but that’s on him.
Putting a tariff on foreign cars certainly violates free trade, because it discriminates between domestic and foreign sellers. But requiring e.g. catalytic converters on all cars sold in your country, domestic and foreign alike, is okay. Banning leaded gasoline in your country is likewise okay, as long as you don’t discriminate on the origin of that gasoline. Countries should be allowed to pass laws like that.
ETA: looking at actual history, it seems different European countries banned leaded gasoline at different times, and the EU was already well established by then. Which seems to confirm my point.
In practice, it’s all a matter of trade negotiations. Trade deals specify on what grounds countries can pass goods from being sold. Plenty of trade agreements then have clauses for Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement to enforce what was negotiated which reduces countries sovereignty to just do what they want.
Trump did get the EU to allow US goods to be sold that were previously blocked form being sold because of regulation like car safety regulation.
EU’s rules are quite complex. The general rule is in Article 34 of the TFEU:
Article 36 TFEU than says:
Then there are plenty of more specific EU directives ChatGPT lists Regulation 2019⁄515 and Directive 1999/74/EC as mattering to the egg question.