External trade
The European Union is today the leading player in international trade, ahead of the United States and Japan. At a time of strong growth in international trade it accounts for
a fifth of the world trade.
The Treaty of Rome objective was to create customs union between EU’s Member States with no trade barriers and common external tariffs on imports from third countries. Nowadays, after fifty years, almost all of those objectives are fulfilled. Trade among all Member States has no barriers, there are no tariffs and goods move freely inside European Union. Also the external trade policy of the European Union is common for all Member States. That means single jurisdiction in all trade-related matters of European Union and its 25 member states. According to the Article 133 of the European Community Treaty which is the legal basis for the EU’s trade policy, European Commission in consultation with a special committee negotiates on behalf of all member states. All trade agreements signed by EU are binding on all EU institutions and all member states.
Common Commercial Policy
The objective of the EU's Common Commercial Policy is to contribute, in the common interest, to the harmonious development of world trade, the progressive abolition of restrictions on international trade, and the lowering of customs barriers. The EU's Common Commercial Policy covers all the main measures affecting trade in goods and services and almost all trade-related issues.
EU’s Common commercial policy allows to uniform trade relations with third countries, by using such tools as common customs tariffs and common regimes on export and import. To defend its market, European Union uses antidumping and anti-subsidy measures as well as Trade Barrier ...