Making EU FTAs ‘Paris Safe’ Three Studies with Concrete Proposals

Abstract

Ensuring that future EU trade and investment agreements do not undercut the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC regime will require three changes to the structure of current EU trade and investment agreements. First, these agreements must ensure that the Paris Agreement takes unambiguous precedence when it comes into conflict with future FTAs. Second, the agreements must clarify the rules with respect to carbon footprint measures. And third, the Parties must insert ‘climate vetoes’ into various chapters of future agreements to ensure that trade and investment protections do not impede the EU’s ability to meet its commitments under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The three studies contained in this report address these topics, explaining potential areas of conflict between EU trade policy and its climate goals, and providing concrete examples and textual proposals for how the EU might design future FTAs that will be ‘Paris Safe’.