Anchoring Labour Rights More Effectively In EU Trade Agreements

Professor Adrian Smith and Dr Liam Campling write for Social Europe about strengthening labour rights in UK and EU trade agreements. Free trade agreements (FTAs) are growing in number and the inclusion in them of labour provisions seeking to improve working conditions are also increasing. A recent study by the ILO found that over 80 per cent of preferential trade agreements that have come into force since 2013 have included such provisions. The European Union (EU), the USA and Canada have been at the forefront of developing this approach to the regulation of working conditions through trade agreements. There has been a rapid and widespread increase of interest in labour provisions in EU FTAs because of negotiations with the US over TTIP and Canada over CETA. Growing discussions and debates have been taking place in a range of policy circles as to whether the EU approach is effective. Consultations are now taking place around the reform and improvement of labour provisions.