The Increasing Power of the European Parliament: Negotiating the EU-India Free Trade Agreement

What is it about?

Since the Lisbon Treaty increased the legal role of the European Parliament in EU trade policy, there has been a debate about the extent to which these legal competencies have translated into actual influence over the content and outcome of EU trade negotiations. Using the trade negotiations between the EU and India as a case study, this article argues that the impact of the EP has indeed been significant. Through two-level game analysis, which extends its domestic focus to include the EP as a domestic constituent, it demonstrates how the EP has affected the EU win-set in ways that have both hindered and facilitated agreement at the international level between the EU and India. It also shows how the EP has affected the negotiating dynamics and how the EU negotiators have had their preferences somewhat compromised by the EP in their attempt at reaching an agreement with India.

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Why is it important?

The article adds to the debate about the role of the European Parliament in EU trade negotiations, and it provides insights into the EU-India trade negotiations.