The EU's Post-Lisbon free trade agreements: commercial interests in a changing constitutional context

• Autores: Sieglinde Gstöhl, Dominik Hanf
• Localización: European Law Journal, ISSN-e 1468-0386, Vol. 20, Nº. 6, 2014 (Ejemplar dedicado a: EU Free Trade Agreements and Fundamental Rights Protecting Commercial Interests or Exerting Normative Power), págs. 733-748
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This article examines how the Common Commercial Policy in the post-Lisbon era impacts citizens' rights both within the EU and in the partner countries. The EU's aspiration to pursue a normative agenda through trade has further been reinforced by the Lisbon Treaty, both with regard to the objectives of external action and the reformed trade policy-making processes. Concurrently, however, the EU has refocused its trade strategy on growth and competitiveness, and strongly advocated the conclusion of �new generation� free trade agreements. These agreements combine an ambitious �WTO-plus� agenda with normative issues such as provisions on human rights, a social dimension and sustainable development. The result of this dual approach is a mixed �constitutional balance�: whereas constitutional rights and competitiveness have the potential to reinforce each other with positive synergy effects, they may also result in tensions and policy incoherencies.