The Nexus between the Common Commercial Policy and Human Rights

Organised by

• Department of Law

This contribution analyses the implications of the Treaty of Lisbon for the nexus between the EU’s Common Commercial Policy (CCP) and the protection of human rights. It is argued that the innovations of the Lisbon Treaty significantly affected the law and practice of the CCP in the sense that human rights considerations have become an integral part of the EU’s trade policy. This is reflected both at the procedural level, with the practice of human rights impact assessments as a clear example; at the judicial level, with the Charter of Fundamental Rights as a key point of reference for assessing the legality of the EU’s external action; and at the practical level, with the introduction of new initiatives and mechanisms aiming at the promotion of respect for human rights in the framework of the CCP. 

Peter Van Elsuwege is professor of EU law and Jean Monnet Chair at Ghent University, where he is co-director of the Ghent European Law Institute (GELI). He is also visiting professor at the College of Europe (Natolin Campus) and board member of the Centre for the Law of EU External Relations (CLEER) at the Asser Institute in The Hague. His research activities essentially focus on the law of EU external relations and EU citizenship.