Labour standards in EU-ACP relations: what explains for their limited role?

[From the introduction]. In the Preamble of the Cotonou-Agreement, both the EU and the ACP countries express being “anxious to respect basic labour rights, taking account of the principles laid down in the relevant conventions of the ILO” (OD0). This reference to ILO-type, fundamental labour rights creates many expectations with regard to the EU’s commitment to promote labour standards in ACP-countries. In practice, however, the EU seems to be reluctant to use its market power to promote compliance with fundamental labour standards, particularly when comparing with other political elements of the agreement, such as the promotion of (general) human rights, good governance and democratic principles. The question is, how can we explain this? The objectives of this paper are therefore two-fold. First of all we aim to critically review the EU’s commitment to the promotion of labour standards in ACP countries, by looking at the concrete implementation of the main political pillars of the Cotonou-Agreement since its first signature. Secondly, we will try to formulate an alternative explanation for this lack of attention for labour standards, based on a model where two elements are crucial: the prominence of the Member States when negotiating association agreement and the role played by national political parties when societal interests are to be aggregated

Labor Standards in EU-ACP Relations: What Explains for Their Limited Role?

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TRADE AGREEMENTS, LABOUR STANDARDS, AND POLITICAL PARTIES. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE U.S. AND EU IN THEIR APPROACH TOWARDS THE

O vínculo entre normas laborais internacionalmente reconhecidas e o comércio internacional tornou-se um elemento chave nas relações entre países industrializados e países em desenvolvimento. Ambos os EUA e a maioria dos estados-membros da União Européia favorecem a inclusão de normas laborais em acordos de comércio no plano multilateral e bilateral. Após a perda de importância da OMC como fórum privilegiado de discussão sobre a relação entre o comércio e as normas laborais, os dois blocos comerciais parecem utilizar cada vez mais os acordos e fórums bilaterais para promover os seus objetivos. Este artigo tem dois propósitos. Em primeiro lugar, ele discute os pontos principais de divergência entre o modelo americano e europeu de incluir « cláusulas sociais » em acordos de comércio. Em segundo lugar, ele tenta formular uma explicação para a variação constatada entre os dois modelos, baseada nas diferenças existentes entre os sistemas partidários americanos e europeus e a sua relevância na formulação de políticas comerciais

Trade agreements, labour standards and political parties: differences between the U.S. and the EU in their approach towards the inclusion of labour standards in international trade agreements

nrpages: 27status: publishe

Labour rights in EPAs : can the EU-CARIFORUM EPA be a guide?

The European Union (EU) is fully engaged in the negotiation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with regional groups of its African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) partners. Even if several such EPAs have been concluded, only one has been concluded with a regional group, the EU-CARIFORUM EPA. Other such regional EPAs are still being negotiated. The purpose of this chapter is to shed some light on the position of labour standards in such agreements. It seems indeed, that the EU-CARIFORUM EPA reflects new ambitions of the EU with regard to the inclusion of strict and enforceable labour standards in its free trade agreements with third countries, particularly its ACP partners. The purpose of this chapter is to wonder whether that really is the case. Can the EU-CARIFORUM EPA be used as a guide that indicates to us what the position will be of labour standards in the EPAs that are still on the negotiating table?Book subtitle: EU-AFRICA RELATIONS IN TRANSITIONstatus: publishe

European values: political statements or ethical guidelines? An empirical assessment

Since the age of enlightenment, state constructions pay tribute to the values the (new) political regime wants to highlight. Next to the solemn preamble that positions the state in general, mostly historical terms, a particular section of the Constitution is devoted to a more detailed enumeration of rights and freedoms, reflecting the quintessence of the political system. Given the legally binding nature of constitutional texts, comments mainly originated from the lawyers' side. Ethical-theological reflections hardly interfere at this level, since the principles of Western liberal democracies are deemed to be of a political nature and, moreover, are in most cases generally accepted. The discussion starts when those rights, e.g. on a qualitative life, on the freedom of expression or on social integration, have to be applied in operational terms. Until recently, the EU was only indirectly involved in these debates, since it focused its attention on market integration and international trade issues. The Treaty on European Union (1992), however, triggered by the radical regime change in Central- and Eastern-Europe, has initiated a novel process of self-definition, ending up in a quasi-constitutional set of values and principles to be integrated in the Reform Treaty (2007). Although these principles are shared by all member states, their innovative formulation is primarily taking place at the EU level. Moreover, they are not only perceived as potential political-legal guidelines, but as a system of values. The first and crucial condition for joining the EU, indeed, is the respect for its values and the commitment to promoting them together (Constitutional Treaty, art. 1.2). Whatever the outcome may be of the negotiation of a revised Constitutional Treaty, it is clear that the EU has developed into a Community of Values, some of them being formulated in much more operational terms than the traditional constitutions mentioned above.status: publishe

Panama als wit konijn uit de hoed : de betwiste verkiezing van de Latijns-Amerikaanse zetel in de VN-Veiligheidsraad

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European values: political statements or ethical guidelines? An empirical assessment

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Political openness: an assessment of democracy

nrpages: 30status: publishe