The EU and international trade [ LEUSL2306 ]

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Through this course students acquire a working knowledge of the mechanics of international trade, with an emphasis on the EU's functioning as a trade actor. The course consists in two parts.

The first part is mostly legal, familiarizing the students with the basic principles of WTO Law and the overall architecture of international trade, including Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs). In this context, the functioning of the EU Common Commercial Policy will be explained. Practical exercises will help the students develop an analytical approach to the current trade issues.

The second part provides a diplomat's perspective on international trade negotiations, be it in the WTO or in the framework of the growing number of bilateral negotiations concluded or conducted by the European Commission on behalf of the EU. Class exercises with the students will help them understand the dynamics of trade negotiations and the challenges of trade diplomacy within the EU.

This is an interdisciplinary course within an interdisciplinary Master program, the participants having the opportunity to understand the different sides of the challenges the EU is facing in international trade.

The objective of the course is to build the basis for future experts in the field, equipping the students with the kind of knowledge and the skills they can immediately put into practice. At the end of our meetings the participants will have a good understanding of the functioning of the systems, knowing where to look for the information and how to assess it.

The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.

Students' participation in the classes (40%) and a 3h final written exam (60%)

A register of attendance at all meetings of the class will be taken.

As both lecturers are practitioners in their respective fields, the course will privilege a practical approach to trade issues. The students are expected to read the assigned materials in advance and to actively participate in the classes, answering questions, asking relevant questions, preparing assignments and assuming the respective roles in practical exercises.

A detailed content, together with the respective bibliography, are provided separately.

Peter Van den Bossche, Werner Zdouc, The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization, Text, Cases and Materials, 3rd Edition, CUP, 2013

Simon Lester, Bryan Mercurio, Lorand Bartels (eds), Bilateral and Regional Trade Agreements, 2nd edition, CUP, 2015

Prerequisite: an introductory course in economics. Support: assigned reading materials and professor's slides.