EU Trade Policy Responses to the Proliferation of Preferential Trade Agreements in Latin America and East and Southeast Asia
The fivefold increase of the number of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) during the last quarter century has been largely explained by the discriminative nature of such agreements, which has triggered "competitive liberalization" and PTA formation among nonmembers through a domino effect. Based on the author's interviews with European Union (EU) trade officials and policy makers at the European Commission, this article evaluates EU trade policy developments during the last quarter century and lays out EU policy responses to the proliferation of PTAs in Latin America and East and Southeast Asia. The article concludes that the EU has adopted "defensive" and "proactive" trade policy responses in Latin America and East and Southeast Asia, thus augmenting the discriminative pressures and reinforcing the discrimination fueled proliferation of PTAs. Related Articles Gruber, Lloyd. 2013. "Trade, Growth, Poverty, and Politics: Toward a Unified Theory." Politics Policy 41 (5) 723 764. http:/onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezp.biblio.unitn.it/doi/10.1111/polp.12034/abstract Collins, Stephen. 2010. "Regional Trade Agreements and Democracy Promotion: Measuring the Influence of Democracy Requirements in Regional Trade Agreements." Politics Policy 38 (4) 737 764. http:/onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747 1346.2010.00256.x/abstract Kirshner, Orin. 2009. "Going Global: The Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1945." Politics Policy 37 (1) 151 176. http:/onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747 1346.2008.00165.x/abstract Related Media The Economic Times. 2015. "Ink FTA with EU to Offset Adverse Impact of TPP on Textiles: Assocham." The Economic Times. October 20. http:/economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/49467316.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst Miller, Nick. 2015. "Australia Europe Free Trade Agreement Talks Could Start within Months." The Sydney Morning Herald. October 15. http:/www.smh.com.au/federal politics/political news/australiaeurope free trade agreement talks could start within months 20151014 gk9ch3.html#ixzz3pNxhixcG