The ‘Politicization’ of the EU’S Common Commercial Policy – Approaching the “Post-Lockean” Era

Abstract

The coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty is considered to be an important step in the further development of EU law. The Common Commercial Policy (CCP), long held to be immune from any EU parliamentarian interference, also came within the Parliament's orbit. The EU is faced with an extraordinary challenge. It may be in a position to demonstrate that the era has dawned, thereby giving an enormous boost also to the reach and the value of democracy as such. It can therefore be stated that the newly conceived CCP offers enormous opportunities but also contains a series of dangers that should be addressed in a timely and effective fashion. It is up to all the institutions involved, and in particular to European Parliament, to demonstrate that in the era democracy in Europe has entered a new stage of advancement. Keywords: Common Commercial Policy (CCP); democracy; EU law; European parliament; Lisbon Treaty; post-Lockean era