Starting in the 1960s with the Kennedy Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), nontariff measures (NTMs) have been replacing tariffs continuously as the core element of trade negotiations. Today they take centre stage in all EU trade agreements with industrialised and...

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...