"Green(er) Civilian Power Europe" in the era of the EU green deal: Giving effect to the environmental sustainability aspects of EU trade policy

Abstract

Trade liberalisation, internally and externally, has been the essence of European integration since the Treaty of Rome. Unpacking EU's role as an international actor by analysing the degree and methods of its influence on global trade politics and dynamics revolves around the concept of "civilian power Europe" coined by François Duchêne in the 1970s while studying EU's place in international relations. The concept of "Civilian Power Europe" suggests that the EU strives to exert influence on other international actors by using civil rather than military methods. Additionally, its theoretical content consists in functioning as "a force for the international diffusion of civilian and democratic standards" and in promoting values that belong to its 'inner characteristics' such as 'equality, justice and tolerance' and an 'interest for the poor abroad'. Based on this normative dimension, the "Civilian Power Europe" concept-almost 50 years after Duchêne's original idea-finds so much resonance in light of Europe's growing international aspirations in trade, environmental protection and security matters. In this context, the aim of this paper is to unpack the linkages between civilian means and goals in the framework of EU trade policy as regards the promotion of sustainable development and environmental protection in particular. Given that the EU has historically been a leading force in global environmental politics, the main research question aspires to shed light on the extent to which the EU in the framework of its 'civilian power' role within its EU trade policy-mainly focusing on EU FTAs-promotes sustainable development and environmental protection in the light of the EU Green Deal.