The impact of the Lisbon Treaty on EU trade policy

The globalised economy has transformed the way business and all business-related processes operate. In face of the current economic downturn governments - in Europe and globally - are forced to rethink the way they approach open markets and deal with new challenges. A variety of stakeholders, including advocacy groups, NGOs and other interest groups all have a say in how the trade policy agenda is shaped.


To comprehensively shape tomorrow’s outcomes, today’s work must take into consideration issues including environmental challenges and climate change, development aid and labour objectives - all with complex trade- and investment-related consequences.

During a breakfast briefing on the Implications of the Lisbon Treaty on EU Trade Policy - organised by APCO Worldwide and Sidley Austin LLP on 4 February 2010 - several presentatees informed the attendees what to expect under the new Treaty.

The invited speakers were Mr. Joao Aguiar Machado (Deputy Director General, DG TRADE), Professor Vital Moreira (Chairman of the Committee on International Trade, EP), Mr. Laurent A. Ruessmann (Sidley Austin LLP), and Mr. Roderick Abbott (APCO Worldwide and Former Deputy Director General, DG TRADE, EC; Former Deputy Director General, World Trade Organisation).

The meeting discussed the current complex national and transnational legal framework, in which knowledge on how to navigate therein and how capital, goods, technology and services move around the globe is of big importance. This is especially crucial for companies working within large trade platforms, such as the European Union. Here, trade policy is being negotiated in a dynamic political environment influenced by national and commercial considerations (i.e. pharmaceutical companies, food multinationals).

With the Lisbon Treaty having entered into force, the European trade policy map will become even more complex and dynamic, mainly due to the greater involvement of the European Parliament. However, according to the presenters, this would also ensure more transparency, coherence and accountability.

With respect to the wider agenda, trade policy is closely linked to important questions in the field of public health, i.e. access to medicines in developing countries, food safety and health, development (developing countries benefiting from access to the EU’s market), environment and climate change, i.e. environmental trade impact assessments in EU trade agreements or disposal of waste.

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Last modified on February 27 2010.