The European Union and sustainable development. A Study on Unilateral Trade Measures

The European Union has the ambition to be one of the largest markets and one of the most influential trade actors in the globalized economy, but also the mission to spread the values and principles at the foundations of the European integration process: democracy, the rule of law, respect and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, environmental protection and sustainable development. This twofold mission is at the origin of the measures which are the object of this book. The focus of the research is the role of the Union in pursuing sustainable development and human rights in third countries through unilateral trade instruments and applying different methods of regulation. The study is conducted against the background of international law and of the WTO rules on multilateral trade. It addresses the tension between unilateralism and multilateralism in EU policies for sustainable development, with a focus on the problematic issue of the extraterritorial reach of EU measures.