Number: RS22547
Title: Europe's New Trade Agenda
Authors: Raymond J. Ahearn, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division 
Abstract: Given that the EU is a global economic superpower, its resumption of a bilateral and preferential trade strategy has implications for the global trading system, as well as for U.S. trade interests. As articulated in an October 2006 report, the EU will prioritize FTAs with regions and countries according to their economic potential rather than on development aims. The July 2008 breakdown of the Doha negotiations may reinforce this approach. This report summarizes the EU's new initiative, casts the initiative in historical perspective, and assesses the implications of this shift for the global trading system and for U.S. interests.
Pages: 6
Date: July 31, 2008