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Corporate power over EU trade policy

Corporate power over EU trade policy

Good for business, bad for the world

Publication

K. Bizarri

Plank, L.

1 January 2006

As the Doha Development round of trade negotiations is at a stale mate at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) this report assesses the role the European Union (EU) has played at the WTO by placing the external aspects of its overarching competitiveness agenda – the Lisbon agenda – at the heart of its position at the WTO. In particular, the study exposes the influence of business-lobbying on setting the EU’s agenda on competitiveness and trade. The study reveals that by ensuring the external competitiveness of its industry, the EU’s corporate agenda in the WTO has undermined the “Doha Development Round” supposedly placing the interest of developing countries at the heart of the negotiations.