Preferential trade agreements are the hallmark of European Union trade policy. Civil society actors’ influence in this area has been traditionally weak which resulted in the distinct design of EU PTAs in terms of the scope and depth of various issues’ coverage, differing widely from the agreements signed by the US, the EU’s rival in trade bilateralism. After the Lisbon Treaty reform, the European Parliament has to ratify all trade agreements, potentially serving as a channel for civil society actors seeking to project their influence on the Commission. Yet, the design of EU PTAs has remained largely unchanged. Why did this institutional reform not result in the change in EU approach toward PTAs? This paper uses the veto players’ theory to explain the stickiness of EU approach toward trade bilateralism, examining the case of social standards in EU trade agreements to assess civil society success after the Lisbon Treaty reform.
