THE EC AS AN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE ACTOR: TWO CASE STUDIES

In: European journal of political research: official journal of the European Consortium for Political Research, Band 15, Heft 4, S. 437-457

Abstract

IN ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY WITHIN THE ARENA OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY SOMETIMES ACTS AS AN ACTOR, BUT SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT. AS IS SHOWN IN THIS ARTICLE: 'TRADITIONAL' EUROPEAN-INTEGRATION APPROACHES FAIL TO EXPLAIN THIS. THE AUTHORS INTRODUCE AN ACTOR CONCEPT WHICH SEEMS TO OVERCOME SUCH SHORTCOMINGS. THIS APPROACH IS APPLIED TO A STUDY OF TWO ACTION DOMAINS OF THE EC: ONE ON CHEMICALS CONTROL POLICIES AND NON-TARIFF TRADE BARRIERS, AND THE OTHER ON THE MULTI-FIBRE AGREEMENTS.