EU Trade Law (Introduction)

Abstract

This book is an attempt to a thorough chronological analysis of the European Union’s (EU) existing law and policy in the field of international trade. This book analyzes the evolution of the EU’s external trade relations, as well as its common commercial policy competence through the years, starting with the Treaty of Rome up until the Treaty of Lisbon, as a background for understanding the EU’s present role in the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework. Thus, a legal analysis of EU trade policy after the Treaty of Rome, after the conclusion of the WTO Agreement, at the Treaty of Amsterdam, at the Treaty of Nice, and at the Treaty of Lisbon is provided, taking into account the most recent constitutional developments by the Lisbon Treaty on division of competences between the EU and its Member States. The book also provides an analysis of UK-EU trade relations post-Brexit.

Keywords: The EU in the GATT/WTO; Treaty of Lisbon; mixed agreements; efficiency v accountability; international trade agreements

JEL Classification: K33