Marise Cremona

This paper provides an analysis and assessment of the place of economic and social rights in European Union external policy. It starts by examining the Treaty framework – including the changes introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon – and the concept of sustainable development as a basis for balancing economic and social aspects of development and trade policies. It then turns to examine first, the ways in which the concepts of free trade and economic and social rights may be balanced within both internal and external EU policy, and second, the ways in which these principles are incorporated into existing Community policy instruments (trade and other autonomous policy measures and international agreements).