Geo-economic Motives and the Negotiation of Free Trade Agreements: Introduction

New is old? TheEU's Open, Sustainable and Assertive Trade Policy

“…The instruments in place, as well as those proposed (to defend EU economic interests and respond when others violate the agreed rules for trade), are primarily defensive rather than offensive; they are supportive and reactive, aimed at enforcing rules, levelling the playing field, and securing economic interests around the world. Adriaensen and Potnikov (2022, p. 7) define geo‐economics as ‘the manipulation of one's position within the global networked economy in pursuit of strategic objectives’. Operationally, this is realpolitik; it is what international actors rationally pursue (utility maximisation), and this is now part of EU trade policy.…”

“…Operationally, this is realpolitik; it is what international actors rationally pursue (utility maximisation), and this is now part of EU trade policy. This could, over time, lead the EU to also weaponise trade (a potential highlighted by Adriaensen & Postnikov, 2022). However, guided by the OSA, the EU currently pursues a dual track of seeking out international agreements and enforcement when possible, for example on data transfers and security, while defending interests and ‘preserving its regulatory autonomy’ (European Commission, 2021a, p. 15)—the re‐embedding of social space.…”

African Continental Free Trade Agreement's Conditional Most Favoured Nation: A Necessary Compromise?

“…With this complexity of interlocking existing RECs with a continent-wide FTA, adopting an unconditional MFN would trigger unintended consequences. 122 It would imply that a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) could through the unconditional MFN claim privileges under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) agreement without the obligation to offer anything in return. Besides the multiple complexities such an agreement would create, it is also likely to scare away national governments knowing the limited control they would have on such future consequences.…”

“…The term conditions the PTG MFN clause by making its extension dependent on a reciprocal exchange of concession. 66 Though MFN clauses are in principle, generally reciprocal in nature, this form of reciprocity is conditional. 67 It is a simplified version of America's 'freely, if the concession was freely made, or on allowing the same compensation, if the favour was conditional'.…”

Las Lógicas De La Diplomacia Económica Instrumental en Las Relaciones Internacionales Contemporáneas (2017-2022)

“…Esto acontece tanto a través de la construcción de marcos normativos, como también mediante el debilitamiento de las reglas que representan los intereses de los líderes. Los acuerdos de comercio toman un papel clave, ya sea como fuente de poder geoeconómico o como expresión de dicho poder (Adriaensen y Postnikov 2022).…”