New Approaches to International Regulatory Cooperation: The Challenge of TTIP, TPP, and Mega-Regional Trade Agreements

Abstract

The article explores challenges and opportunities associated with the rise of mega-regional trade agreements such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). It considers the drivers of international regulatory cooperation (IRC), key institutional structures and techniques for achieving enhanced IRC, relevant governance issues, and approaches to overcoming the primary obstacles. The article also serves as the introduction to an issue of Law & Contemporary Problems examining IRC issues and highlights the key insights contained in the papers in that volume.

Keywords: international regulatory cooperation, transatlantic trade and investment partnership, TTIP, trans-pacific partnership, TPP, international trade, european union