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REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: NEGOTIATION MECHANISM, CLASSIFICATION, GOALS

This article discusses the system of regional trade agreements (RTA) of the European Union (EU) as an instrument of trade policy and economic diplomacy of the Union. It analyzes the existing EU mechanism for negotiating RTAs with third countries as well as the main types of these agreements according to the classification of the European Commission. It outlines the main goals pursued by the Union when concluding the RTAs and gives an overview of the available information on the effectiveness of the EU’s network of bilateral trade agreements. It is concluded that the main objectives of the EU when using this instrument of trade policy are to promote the interests of European business, create leverage for exerting political influence on third countries and advance European ideals of democracy and a market economy around the world.