An analysis of data from the Eurobarometer finds evidence of the asymmetric effects of macroeconomic performance on happiness. The evidence reveals that the negative effect of an economic recession on happiness can be at least twice the positive effect of economic growth. In short, a single year...

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has a long history of intellectual independence. This article details how Western countries tried to marginalise the organisation and its work – which is often critical of Western powers – during the 2012 UNCTAD conference. While developing...

The ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon will have a number of potentially important implications for decision-making in EU external trade and investment policy. This article summarises the main changes and discusses some key implementing measures that will shape the medium to long-term impact...

Together with a strong emphasis on deep integration, the main thrust of the EU's new trade strategy as announced in October 2006 is competitive regionalism, i.e. the competition between different jurisdictions which seek strategic advantages for themselves through the conclusion of bilateral...

Negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreements between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the European Union have not been making much progress recently. How should the Partnership Agreements be structured to ensure a pro-development outcome and how could the negotiations gain...

This Forum is dedicated to a discussion of the effects of the global financial and economic crisis on both international trade and trade policy. What changes could be observed in the volume and structure of trade and what transmission channels were involved? Has the international competitiveness...