The Politics of Freer Trade in Europe - Three-Level Games in the Common Commercial Policy of the EU, 1985-1997 (Hardcover)

Trade policies of the European Union have not owed the simple script of free trade. In some sectors, protection has been granted, while in others, far-reaching liberalization has occurred. The politics of freer trade has originated in the very unstructured nature of policy-making itself. Socio-economic and political coalitions for freer external trade have emerged, and these comprise the "open regionalists" among governments of member states, the Commission, and liberal constituencies. These are analyzed in this book, and institutional reforms aimed at enhancing the capacity of the European Union to cope with societal and diplomatic pressures in the future are suggested.