This master's thesis focuses on the economic analysis of the European Union's trade policy and historical overview of its development. Based on an examination of the evolution and application of tariffs and the EU's trade policy, the study evaluates the effectiveness of the EU in achieving the objectives of its trade policy and analyses the advantages and disadvantages that this policy brings to the Member States and their citizens.
The thesis highlights the key features of the EU's trade policy, its development, and the factors that contributed to its establishment. It examines the principal trade agreements concluded and currently negotiated by the EU, its membership in the WTO, and the trade defence instruments available to address distortions in international trade and violations of international trade rules. Furthermore, the thesis outlines the legal framework and competences that enable the EU to conduct its common trade policy, discusses its development and the challenges encountered throughout this process, and evaluates the main advantages and disadvantages of the EU's trade policy. It also identifies the key challenges facing the EU and its economy that reduce the effectiveness of its trade policy and considers possible solutions to these issues.
The findings demonstrate that the gradual reduction and elimination of tariffs at the international level, together with the conclusion of trade agreements negotiated by the EU, have generated significant benefits for consumers. Trade liberatisation has resulted in more affordable goods, a wider range of products on the market, and employment opportunities for millions of people whose wages have increased because of international trade.
|
