Front-Loading Trade Policy-Making in the European Union: Towards a Trade Act

Cottier-Holzer, Thomas (2017). Front-Loading Trade Policy-Making in the European Union: Towards a Trade Act. In: Bungenberg, Marc; Krajewski, Markus; Tams, Christian; Terhechte, Jörg Philipp; Ziegler, Andreas R. (eds.) European Yearbook of International Economic Law 2017. EYIEL: Vol. 8 (pp. 35-59). Cham: Springer 10.1007/978-3-319-58832-2_2

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The shift to non-tariff measures and regulatory behind-the-border issues in commercial policy—and thus to matters traditionally pertaining to domestic law of Member States and the European Union—call for enhanced inclusiveness in policy-making. Such inclusiveness, under current rules of exclusive powers and mixed agreements, mainly focuses on the final stages of negotiations. It undermines the authority and treaty-making powers of the Union, frustrating legitimate expectations and trust of trading partners. Instead, major issues and debates on trade policy should be front-loaded and not taking place at the stage of consent and signature, prior to ratification and the adoption of implementing legislation. In assessing current procedures and its shortcomings under the practice of mixed agreements, the paper suggest developing and introducing a European Trade Act, perhaps called International Trade, Investment and Co-operation Regulation (ITICR). In comparison with, and referring to, the United States Trade Act, the paper expounds the potential scope and functions of a European Trade Act under the Lisbon Treaties and its assistance in achieving the goal of front-loading trade policy and investment policy debates within the Union. A Trade Act reduces the risks under the bifurcated system of exclusive and mixed competences of the Union in international economic law. It bears the potential to enhance inclusiveness and thus democratic legitimacy while at the same time supporting effective treaty-making powers of the European Union.

Item Type:	Book Section (Book Chapter)
Division/Institute:	02 Faculty of Law > Department of Economic Law > World Trade Institute 10 Strategic Research Centers > World Trade Institute
UniBE Contributor:	Cottier, Thomas
Subjects:	300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 340 Law 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 380 Commerce, communications & transportation
ISSN:	2364-8392
ISBN:	978-3-319-58831-5
Series:	EYIEL
Publisher:	Springer
Language:	English
Submitter:	Pablo Rahul Das
Date Deposited:	31 Mar 2020 12:05
Last Modified:	02 Mar 2023 23:33
Publisher DOI:	10.1007/978-3-319-58832-2_2
Related URLs:	Author
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/141131