In the last years the European Union (EU) transformed the European gender regime towards gender equality thoroughly. This dissertation deals with the question of the EU's external influence on transforming societies. Is the external influence coherent with internal claims? Trade is the EU's most important external policy area. The EU is an economic giant based on the largest single market in the world. Thus the EU has power in and through trade. The EU makes increasingly the adaptation of normative standards a
condition to access its market. Does the EU integrate also standards on gender equality? And does the EU transform gender regimes globally through trade? What impacts does the EU have on gender regimes?
This dissertation examines gender impacts in the Sustainability Impact Assessments that show possible impacts of trade agreements between the EU and its partners. The analysis shows that gender is secondary to economic growth and not directed towards gender equality. As a
consequence the EU does not use its power through trade and the coherence of internal and external efforts is questionable.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Reflections
3. EU as a global actor in trade
4. Analysis of the Sustainable Impact Assessments (SIAs)
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Objectives & Core Themes
This dissertation examines the extent and impact of the European Union in promoting its shared values, specifically gender equality, through its external trade policies. It questions whether there is coherence between the EU's internal commitment to gender equality and its external trade actions, particularly through the lens of Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs).
- The role of the EU as a global actor in trade.
- Theoretical frameworks for understanding EU external influence.
- The integration of gender equality in EU social and trade policy.
- Critical analysis of gender perspectives within Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs).
- The coherence gap between internal EU gender standards and external trade impacts.
Excerpt from the Book
3. EU as a global actor in trade
The EU is an economic giant based on a single market between 27 countries. In the worldwide economic context, the EU catched up with the US. According to WTO statistics the EU exceeded the US in its Gross Domestic Product in 2006. Both make up 20% of the world trade in goods and services. If EU-intra trade is included, the EU takes up 40% of the world trade. Furthermore the EU dominates foreign investment outflows (WTO. EU (27); WTO. US; see also Eurostat. 2008). The EU therefore slightly surpasses the US in its economic power. Copnsequently trade is the most powerful instrument of the EU, a kind of foreign policy that gives the EU the possibility to promote its own values and principles in the world (van den Hoven. 2006: 186).
Likewise the external trade negotiations have the highest level of integration among 28 other policy areas (Pollack. 2000: 522). EU trade originates in the creation of the customs union as part of the Treaty of Rome. The by then six member states agreed to grant the community exclusive competence in the coordination of external trade in goods. Corollary developed the Common Commercial Tariff (CCT). On this basis the EU can act as a single actor in trade. It negotiates tariffs with third-parties and coordinates the Common Commercial policy. Legally the community is represented by the DG Trade of the European Commission. Since 1958 the EU developed significantly. Trade is no longer based exclusively on goods, but involves many other forms (e.g. services, investments, monetary affairs). These are points of critical debate within the EU, because there is no specific agreement about the sole competency of the commission. However, Charlotte Bretherton and John Vogler (2006: 88) argue that the EU is perceived to have these competencies from outsiders. Hence the EU manages to act as a single actor although its competences are limited (Orbie. 2008b: 39). In the Common Commercial policy the EC has the exclusive right to propose and initiate new laws and negotiations.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the historical evolution of the EU and its transformation from a postwar peace project into a global economic power, setting the context for the dissertation's investigation into the EU's external influence.
2. Theoretical Reflections: This section reviews major International Relations theories—Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, and Feminism—to establish a feminist constructivist framework suitable for analyzing the EU's global impact on gender norms.
3. EU as a global actor in trade: This chapter analyzes the EU's power through trade, detailing how it leverages its single market as a regulatory superpower and how trade negotiations are structured, including the role of the European Commission.
4. Analysis of the Sustainable Impact Assessments (SIAs): This chapter provides an empirical review of existing SIAs to determine how, and to what extent, gender equality is integrated as a factor in evaluating the impacts of EU trade agreements.
5. Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes findings to argue that the EU's external promotion of gender equality is secondary to its economic interests, revealing a gap between the EU's internal values and its external trade impacts.
6. Bibliography: This section lists all academic sources, EU documents, and technical reports cited throughout the dissertation.
Keywords
European Union, Gender Equality, Trade Policy, Sustainability Impact Assessments, Feminism, Constructivism, External Policy, Gender Mainstreaming, Global Actor, Normative Power, Economic Growth, International Relations, Trade Agreements, Social Policy, Gender Regimes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
The dissertation explores the EU's external influence on gender regimes globally, specifically analyzing whether the EU successfully promotes its internal commitment to gender equality through its external trade agreements.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The research covers EU trade mechanisms, International Relations theories concerning the EU's role, the development of gender policy within the EU, and the critical evaluation of how gender impacts are assessed in trade agreements.
What is the primary research objective?
The primary objective is to determine if there is coherence between the EU's stated internal values of gender equality and its external trade policies, and whether the EU uses its power through trade to improve gender equality in partner countries.
Which scientific methodology does the author utilize?
The author employs a feminist constructivist approach to analyze empirical data, specifically conducting a qualitative review and classification of Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) to identify patterns in how gender is (or is not) addressed.
What is examined in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the theoretical foundations of the EU as a global actor, the evolution of its gender equality policy, and a detailed audit of 48 Sustainability Impact Assessments to evaluate how trade negotiators account for gendered impacts.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include European Union, Gender Equality, Trade Policy, Sustainability Impact Assessments, Normative Power, and Feminist Constructivism.
Why are Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) critical to the author's argument?
SIAs are critical because they are the formal instruments through which the European Commission assesses the potential social consequences of trade agreements; the author uses them to demonstrate that gender is often treated as secondary to macroeconomic growth.
What does the author conclude about the EU's influence on global gender regimes?
The author concludes that while the EU has a global impact, it does not consciously direct this influence toward achieving gender equality; rather, economic interests typically outweigh gender concerns, revealing a contradiction in the EU's external policy coherence.
- Citar trabajo
- Stefanie Kessler (Autor), 2008, The EU as global actor and its influence on the global gender regime, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/122751
