Influential
The IFSL Trade Policy team utilises strong links to both national and international governmental bodies to help inform and shape the trade policy debate around the world. Within the UK, the Group has ties to senior Government officials in HM Treasury, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. It also has links to the UK diplomatic network of Embassies and High Commissions overseas.
At the international level, the IFSL Trade Policy team is well connected with key decision makers in the European Commission, which negotiates on trade policy on behalf of the EU. The team meets regularly with the EU negotiating team in Brussels, as well as senior officials from DG Internal Market and DG External Trade.
Analytical
IFSL’s Trade Policy team contributes research-driven analysis to the debate over market reform and liberalisation. We maintain cutting edge expertise on how global trade policy developments affect the financial services sector, and supplement our analysis through affiliations with the London School of Economics and the European Centre for International Political Economy, which connect the team to emerging academic work.
The Trade Policy team is a trusted source of expertise for national governmental bodies and international organisations. IFSL is a valued resource for UK Parliamentary inquiries into global financial market trends. The team also provides detailed input into the work of the OECD and the UN Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD).
Representative
IFSL acts as the lead voice for the UK financial service sector in negotiations worldwide, through the LOTIS Committee, the representative body for UK financial sector interests in trade policy. The Committee provides a forum for IFSL members to articulate practical business concerns to the Trade Policy team, which uses its links to UK Government and the European Commission to inform and shape trade policy and trade negotiations.