Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Weiß (Speyer University) and Dr. Cornelia Furculiță joined the EU-RENEW Webinar Series to present their new book, Open Strategic Autonomy in EU Trade Policy (Cambridge University Press 2024). Prof. Dr. Chad Damro (University of Edinburgh) served as expert discussant before a Q&A with the audience.

About the book: This book analyses whether the recent reorientation of EU trade policy towards stronger enforcement and more robust representation of interests, resulting in a series of new or amended legislative tools, is in conformity with the EU's international commitments, particularly WTO, FTA, environmental, and general international law, and with its multilateralist stance and underlying constitutional obligations. The analysis is also set against the consequences that would flow from within the EU legal order, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the external and internal constraints on trade policy that the EU should respect, as well as the leeway it enjoys. In case of potential tensions, it submits changes that would better balance the EU's new ambitions and international obligations. Furthermore, the book looks beyond the possible legal repercussions to consider the broader political implications of these instruments on the credibility of the EU's commitment to multilateralism and international law.

About the authors: Wolfgang Weiß is Full Professor and Chair Holder of Public Law, European Law and Public International Law at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer. His main research areas are EU, WTO, and international economic law. Cornelia Furculiță is a practicing international lawyer focused on international economic law. Her research and practice interests cover also EU common commercial policy.

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Chad Damro (University of Edinburgh)
Moderator: Dr. Kari Otteburn (University of Leuven)