The EU as a Collective Actor in the WTO: An Analysis based on the Principles of Transparency, Accountability, Legitimacy and Democracy

The EU as a Collective Actor in the WTO seeks to analyze the functioning of the EU in the WTO in a comprehensive and critical manner. It provides an in-depth examination of the institutional and legal mechanisms underpinning the unique character of the WTO membership of the EU and its Member States.

The EU as a Collective Actor in the WTO contributes to the discussion whether the EU practices in the WTO are compatible with constitutional principles of transparency, accountability, legitimacy and democracy. The EU is no longer predominantly economic organization and from its inception, the importance of good governance and adherence to the abovementioned constitutional principles has been stressed.

Furthermore, the trade policy has always been the most important policy of the Union in which the European Parliament played no or almost no role. The book discusses the new role given to the European Parliament by the Treaty of Lisbon in trade policy. It also examines what this role means in practice and what are the implications for the future.

The book offers a wealth of information gathered about both formal and informal manner of functioning of the EU and its Member States in the WTO. The EU as a Collective Actor in the WTO should be read by policy makers, scholars, lawyers, students, all those interested in trade policy and external relations of the Union and those who want to have a better and deeper understanding of Union's decision-makes process and representation practices in the WTO.