Integration as a Principle of European Law, and its Relevance to the Negotiation of Trade and Investment Agreements

Abstract

This chapter briefly reviews, in the context of extensive literature, how the principle of integration has been applied by the European Union (EU) in its trade and economic decision-making in accordance with the EU’s agreed sustainable development objective. It considers what the European law and policy experience with integration can tell us about how the three tensions identified earlier in this volume may be addressed in international economic agreements. The chapter draws three key insights vis-à-vis integration of environmental and social concerns to address the tensions occasioned by new economic liberalization rules: first, increases in the scale or scope of trade and investment flows are not meant to cause direct material environmental damage through increases in unsustainable economic development activities; second, economic policies and agreements are not intended to create incentives for trade and investment led economic growth that will exacerbate serious environmental and social problems; and third, evolving trade and investment policies and treaties are not intended to encourage unsustainable growth.