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GMF Trade Expert Briefing for Lady Ashton and DG TRADE
Tuesday, 16th June 2009
Professors Richard Baldwin and Joost Pauwelyn met with EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton in Brussels to discuss the future challenges the world trade system will face. |
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Richard Baldwin discussed supportive measures the EU could take to reinforce the WTO ‘s effort to multilateralise regionalism. The suggestions included the importance of ensuring that the complex arrangements of free trade agreements fit as well as possible with other elements of the multilateral trade system. Furthermore, Baldwin discussed the possibility of the WTO convening discussions on the cost of overlapping free trade agreements and analysing various possibilities to minimise the costs. He also urged the Commissioner to support a proposal to create a WTO centre, which supports developing nations with the legal, economic and diplomatic aspects of the regional trade agreements. |
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Joost Pauwelyn discussed the evolving nation of protection, where consumers – rather than the traditional special interest groups such as import-competing firms – are driving new calls for protection related to issues such as trade and environment, and trade and labour standards. |
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The meeting between the two Professors from the Graduate Institute and Commissioner Ashton and members of her cabinet was part of an event organised by the German Marhsall Fund (GMF) and involved also a meeting with experts of the Commissioner’s staff in DG Trade. |
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