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Outsiders' Perceptions of the European Union in International Trade Negotiations
Author(s) -
ELGSTRÖM OLE
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
jcms: journal of common market studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.54
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1468-5965
pISSN - 0021-9886
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5965.2007.00755.x
Subject(s) - legitimacy , negotiation , european union , perception , political science , power (physics) , international trade , member states , political economy , public relations , business , sociology , psychology , law , politics , physics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience
The question approached in this article is whether the almost unanimous picture, drawn by both academic observers and EU representatives, of the EU as a major power and leading actor in global trade negotiations, is also shared by ‘outsiders’. I describe and analyse how representatives of non‐EU Member States picture and evaluate the EU's role in the WTO and the strategies it uses to achieve its goals. Special attention is given to perceived constraints on EU leadership. In brief, my results demonstrate that the EU is indeed seen as a key actor in the WTO but that it is not necessarily seen as a leader. Its leadership potential is diminished by perceived incoherence across issue areas, by a lack of perceived legitimacy and, to a lesser extent, by an excessive focus on internal co‐ordination.