Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Foreword
- Introduction
- The future of the Doha Round
- PART ONE Development policy of the WTO
- PART TWO Trade policy (including competition) and trade facilitation
- 6a Trade policy objectives in the Doha Round – A European Union perspective
- 6b The final phase of the Doha Round
- 7 Further liberalisation of trade in chemicals – can the DDA deliver? A summary of the chemical industry's position on the Doha Development Agenda
- 8 Trade facilitation within the Doha Round: A critical review of recent efforts of the WTO and other international organizations (1996–2006)
- 9 ICN accompanied convergence, instead of WTO imposed harmonization, of competition laws
- 10 Legal principle of integration in the Doha Round: Embedding a social order in the global market
- PART THREE Reform of the dispute settlement system
- PART FOUR Social rights, health, and environment
- PART FIVE Conclusions
- Index
6a - Trade policy objectives in the Doha Round – A European Union perspective
from PART TWO - Trade policy (including competition) and trade facilitation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 February 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Foreword
- Introduction
- The future of the Doha Round
- PART ONE Development policy of the WTO
- PART TWO Trade policy (including competition) and trade facilitation
- 6a Trade policy objectives in the Doha Round – A European Union perspective
- 6b The final phase of the Doha Round
- 7 Further liberalisation of trade in chemicals – can the DDA deliver? A summary of the chemical industry's position on the Doha Development Agenda
- 8 Trade facilitation within the Doha Round: A critical review of recent efforts of the WTO and other international organizations (1996–2006)
- 9 ICN accompanied convergence, instead of WTO imposed harmonization, of competition laws
- 10 Legal principle of integration in the Doha Round: Embedding a social order in the global market
- PART THREE Reform of the dispute settlement system
- PART FOUR Social rights, health, and environment
- PART FIVE Conclusions
- Index
Summary
The European Union is a major trade power. In economic terms, it is the world's biggest trading block and it is home to nearly half a billion consumers, with a high average level of income. As such, it is a very attractive market for exporters in other countries. In political terms, it has a decisive influence in shaping the world trade architecture. On trade matters, it speaks with one voice: the European Commission acts as single negotiator on behalf of the twenty seven Member States of the European Union. Also, the EU is the most important donor of both aid and preferential market access to the developing world.
Core principles of the EU's common trade policy
The EU's common trade policy is deeply rooted in a few core principles: liberalisation, open markets, rule of law, sustainable development. On that basis we have played a leading role in the WTO, built up a network of preferential trade relations and set up a number of autonomous trade policy instruments, such as for instance in the area of trade defence. As a result, the average weighted level of customs duties on industrial goods entering the European Union is just 4%. In agriculture, the EU's average tariff – including bilateral and preferential arrangements – is just 10%. A country such as Brazil exports some 37% of its agricultural products to the EU (thanks to MFN Tariff Rate Quotas) and Africa exports more to the EU than to the rest of the OECD taken together.
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- Agreeing and Implementing the Doha Round of the WTO , pp. 145 - 150Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008