A new EU trade policy for a disorderly world

With protectionist pressures on the rise across the world, the EU is putting renewed efforts to conclude negotiations on long-standing trade deals, as seen with the landmark political agreement on a free trade pact with Japan, and the decision to clinch new accords to liberalise bilateral and region-to-region trade flows, including with Mercosur, India, Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN. Difficulties still remain, particularly on convincing a sceptical and largely anti-globalisation European public of the positive outcomes of trade liberalisation. There are also concerns that a focus on bilateral and regional deals will further erode and fragment the multilateral trading system represented by the WTO.

• How is the EU adapting its trade negotiations and policies to a changing world order?
• What is being done to ease public concerns about the negative impact of free trade and globalisation?
• Why is the EU seeking stronger vetting of foreign investments when it needs more financial resources especially to create new jobs?