Labour standards in EU free trade agreements: Working towards what end? Great Insights magazine 22 December views. Authors JH. The European Union EU has long sought to address labour standards issues through its trade policy. In respect to labour, these TSD chapters typically require the parties inter alia to: implement and uphold International Labour Organization ILO core labour standards; protect existing levels of labour law; and establish institutional structures for both state-to-state and civil society dialogue on sustainable development within and between the parties.
Civil society in this context includes representatives from business, trade unions, academia and non-governmental organisations.
They are also present in finalised texts with Vietnam and Canada, and in negotiated texts with Ecuador, Tunisia, Singapore, and the US. Finally, the European Parliament has even proposed that a TSD chapter be included in any bilateral investment treaty with China. In the global governance of labour, the regulation contained in the TSD chapters looks set to become increasingly influential.
Based on 90 interviews with state, business and civil society actors in these countries plus 30 more in EU member states, we found evidence that suggests there is cause for concern about their ability to protect and promote actual labour standards. The key problems are set out below. Differing priorities Government officials from trading partners do not appear to see the externally imposed TSD chapters as their responsibility. Meanwhile, European Commission officials have prioritised the commercial dimensions of the trade agreements, attending only to the procedural obligations of the TSD chapters rather than its substantive labour standards agenda β an agenda which has its origins in the European Parliament.
Nowhere did we find joint committees of state officials clearly aiming to enhance the protection and representation of workers at an institutional level. Instead, they relied on civil society mechanisms to provide the primary impetus on labour-related issues in the agreement.
