This event is part of a seminar series of virtual presentations of papers addressing various aspects of trade policy, organised in the framework of the Observatori de Política Exterior Europea (European Foreign Policy Observatory). The Research on Trade Policy series will consist of weekly presentations on Friday afternoon, 14:00 CEST. Each hour-long session will mimic a conference or workshop panel, followed by comments from a designated discussant. Thereafter we turn to questions from attendees.

Learn more about the Webinar Series: Research on Trade Policy

Often perceived as a technical, de-politicised area, the regulation of international trade has recently entered the realm of high politics. Public mobilization on a number of contentious mega trade deals played no small part in this trend. Yet, the increasing use of trade policy as a strategic instrument reflects perhaps a more fundamental shift albeit one that has gained prominence in a less ostentatious manner. Still, geo-economic discourse has become widespread in trade-talk, yet it has only received scant attention in empirical research. Our paper seeks to address this gap by studying the negotiation and design of FTAs, using EU-Asia trade relations as a critical case. We assess the extent and manner in which geo-economic arguments determine the initiation, negotiation and design of free trade agreements. Is all the talk about first-mover advantages, rule export and preference erosion but strategic discourse or does it affect policy outcomes and in what ways? What role can EU trade policy fulfil in the realization of the ‘Geo-political agenda’ of the von der Leyen Commission?

Johan Adriaensen is assistant professor in international relations at Maastricht University. He completed his PhD at the KULeuven on The National Administrations in EU trade policy (Palgrave, 2016). Beyond a research interest in the International Political Economy of trade, he studies EU governance and comparative and inter-institutional politics. He has published in the Journal of Common Market Studies, Regulation and Governance, European Political Science,  and Politics and Governance.

Evgeny Postnikov is Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in International Relations at The University of Melbourne. His research interests centre on the politics of international trade and EU trade policy. His work has appeared in the Review of International Organizations, Journal of Common Market Studies, Environmental Politics, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Journal of European Public Policy and New Political Economy. He is author of Social Standards in EU and US Trade Agreements with Routledge.