Research Article

Integration of Environmental Considerations into the European Union’s Common Commercial Policy: A Legal and Layered Perspective

Volume: 24 Number: 2 December 5, 2025
TR EN

Integration of Environmental Considerations into the European Union’s Common Commercial Policy: A Legal and Layered Perspective

Abstract

The European Union (EU) has consistently incorporated environmental considerations into its policies, particularly since the Amsterdam Treaty (1999), which mandates the integration of environmental protection into all EU policies to promote sustainable development. One such policy is the EU’s Common Commercial Policy (CCP), which underpins its external trade law and must align with sustainable development objectives. Notably, since the 2010s, the EU has integrated sustainable development and environmental considerations into its unilateral (e.g., Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)), bilateral (e.g., New Generation Free Trade Agreements (NGFTAs)), and multilateral (e.g., efforts within the World Trade Organisation (WTO)) trade measures. Grounded in legal methodology, this manuscript examines why and how the EU has incorporated these considerations into its external trade law across different levels. It demonstrates that, while the EU’s pursuit of environmental objectives is evident across all levels, it is more pronounced in unilateral and bilateral measures compared to multilateral efforts. Furthermore, it reveals that the relevant legal frameworks have evolved in scope and depth, with notable improvements in the mechanisms of implementation and enforcement.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

European Union Law

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

July 16, 2025

Publication Date

December 5, 2025

Submission Date

December 2, 2024

Acceptance Date

February 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 24 Number: 2

APA
Göçmen, İ. (2025). Integration of Environmental Considerations into the European Union’s Common Commercial Policy: A Legal and Layered Perspective. Ankara Avrupa Çalışmaları Dergisi, 24(2), 273-306. https://doi.org/10.32450/aacd.1594974
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