European Union and the New Trade Union Politics

A 'state-of-the-art' study of the new trade politics, clearly showing how the World Trade Organization has become a lightning rod for protest, a powerful 'legaliser' of trade diplomacy, and an arena where it is often difficult, even impossible, to separate private from public interests.This new volume explains how the character of international trade has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. The rapid increase in foreign direct investment has led to a huge rise in intra-firm trade and the growth of sales by foreign affiliates. As traditional barriers to trade, such as tariffs and quotas, have fallen, the importance of national rules and regulations as obstacles to trade has increased. The emergence of a vibrant and increasingly international civil society, which includes environmental and consumer groups and ministries, together with a more active bloc of developing countries, have made trade politics far more lively and complex than ever before.This book was previously published as a special issue of the leadingJournal of European Public Policy.Peterson's Magazine Staff is the author of 'European Union and the New Trade Union Politics', published 2007 under ISBN 9780415394918 and ISBN 0415394910.