The European Union as an Actor in International Trade Relations

Abstract

Trade is arguably the EU’s most highly centralised policy domain. It therefore represents a crucial case study for characterising the Union as an international actor. To this end, this chapter analyses the EU’s trade policy with regards to objectives, instruments, style, and decision-making procedures. Drawing on a variety of examples, including the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with developing countries, the chapter finds that in the field of trade, the EU acts more along the lines of a great power than a civilian or normative power.