Conclusion: Future Prospects of EU Trade Policy

This book has shown that the trade policy of the European Union (EU) is a multifaceted and fascinating topic to study for political scientists, economists and lawyers alike. The EU’s performance in trade policy is important for the economies of the EU member states and, indeed, of the world (see Chapter 1). Nevertheless, for a long time EU trade policy appeared to be a field reserved for practitioners, and it has only recently attracted more attention from a broader range of scholars and the public. This concluding chapter highlights again the special nature of the common commercial policy before it addresses some future prospects in light of recent internal and external events.