A Development Perspective on EU Trade Policies and their Implications for Central and Eastern European Countries

This paper will begin by outlining the policy framework that informs EU trade policies and will set out a development perspective that informs the evaluation of EU trade policies. The paper then discusses the issue of adjustment in the EU and evaluates the EU track record in key industries of interest to developing countries. In the next section, the paper evaluates the EU commitment to environmentally sustainable policies. The paper then reviews the various EU technical regulations or social policies against the above two perspectives. The next section reflects on some of the dynamic forces for change in the EU and the positive role they can play in advancing trade liberalization and development. Finally, the paper then attempts to draw out some implications for the CEE countries of the above analyses.