Member States in European Trade Negotiations

Abstract

When studying how member states can influence EU trade negotiations, a better understanding of the decision-making context is required. This chapter starts from the legal framework elaborating the division of competencies between member states and the Union. It also demarcates the different procedures through which the Common Commercial Policy is governed. The legal framework is then augmented by adding an administrative layer, placing greater emphasis on the bureaucratic than the political nature of the interaction between member states and Commission. A final section addresses the ramifications of an exclusive focus on the Council while leaving out the European Parliament. This chapter draws on existing scholarship and in-depth interviews in the European institutions to paint a complete, updated picture of the decision-making context.