Leal-Arcas, Rafael --- "The European Union’s New Common Commercial Policy after the Treaty of Lisbon" [2012] ELECD 524; in Trybus, Martin; Rubini, Luca (eds), "The Treaty of Lisbon and the Future of European Law and Policy" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012)

Book Title: The Treaty of Lisbon and the Future of European Law and Policy

Editor(s): Trybus, Martin; Rubini, Luca

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9780857932556

Section: Chapter 14

Section Title: The European Union’s New Common Commercial Policy after the Treaty of Lisbon

Author(s): Leal-Arcas, Rafael

Number of pages: 23

Extract:

14. The European Union's new common
commercial policy after the Treaty of
Lisbon
Rafael Leal-Arcas

1. INTRODUCTION

The Treaty of Lisbon (ToL)1 is a replacement for the EU Constitutional
Treaty,2 since the latter failed ratification. The ToL is a substantive legal
document, introducing significant legal, procedural, and institutional
changes. It draws heavily on the EU Constitutional Treaty,3 confirms much
of its substance, and includes, inter alia, provisions relating to the EU's
capacity to formulate a common foreign policy4 and to enjoy a single legal
personality5 to conclude international agreements and to join international
organizations.
The ToL introduces a number of changes to the EU's external trade and
investment policy decision-making. The ToL tries to improve efficiency and
accountability in EU trade policy-making. International trade is a policy
area in which the EU has long been recognized as an important actor. Two
important institutional innovations of the ToL have a significant impact on
EU external action: the introduction of a permanent President of the
European Council ­ appointed for a renewable term of two and a half

1
Official Journal C 306 of 17 December 2007.
2
Official Journal C 310 of 16 December 2004.
3
Cremona, M. (2003), `The Draft Constitutional Treaty: External Relations
and External Action', Common Market Law Review, 40, 1347­1366.
4
Cremona, M. (2007), `The Union's External Action: Constitutional Perspec-
tives', in Amato, G., H. Bribosia and B. de Witte (eds), Genèse et destinée de ...