Suchergebnisse

Public discourse and the exchange amongst specialists is moving increasingly into the virtual space. The so-called Web 2.0 offers new possibilities to the discipline of International Relations for internal as well as external communication, and changes how we engage in the scientific endeavor. Communication is fast, decentralized and addresses new audiences that could previously not be reached. This creates risks and opportunities. Instead of using the new options and sharpening the profile of the discipline in politics and in the public perception, we all too often lose sightof the opportunities while staring at the potential risks. There is a danger of a widening language gap in the discipline of International Relations and of a loss of relevance. It could happen that the new edition of the Republic of Letters will take place without the participation of the German speaking world. Adapted from the source document.

1\. Introduction 5 2\. Colliding Templates: Change and Persistence 6 2.1 Templates and Diffusion 6 2.2 Templates and Global Trends 8 2.3 The World Trade Organization 11 3\. Data and Method 13 4\. Horizontal Templates: A Tale of Two Regions 17 5\. Vertical Templates: Environment, Anti-Corruption and Social Cooperation 22 6\. Conclusion 29 Bibliography 32 Appendix: Agreements 34 ; Over the last two decades, Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) proliferated through the international trading system. PTAs created a web of rules paralleling and extending the system of the World Trade Organization (WTO). PTAs are an increasingly dominant feature of the international trading system, adding to a steadily increasing complexity. Their content is rarely studied systematically across agreements, and the mechanisms leading to their genesis are little understood. It is typically assumed that actors like the European Union (EU) and the United States (U. S.) work off a template when negotiating PTAs. Some argue that this allows them, amongst others, to impose a regulatory regime. This working paper attempts to put this claim to the test. Using diffusion theory as framework, it analyzes PTAs signed by the EU, the U. S. and their regional trading partners. Understanding the use of templates will help negotiating parties to assess the margin of maneuver when negotiating PTAs with the EU and the U. S. as well as the rigidity of their mandate. The analysis is conducted on a regional and a domestic level using aggregated data on PTA content and a qualitative assessment of selected PTA provisions (anti- corruption, environment and cultural cooperation). The study finds that the flexibility of these mandates is considerable and that templates, if used at all, can change substantially over time.

Over the last two decades, Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) proliferated through the international trading system. PTAs created a web of rules paralleling and extending the system of the World Trade Organization (WTO). PTAs are an increasingly dominant feature of the international trading system, adding to a steadily increasing complexity. Their content is rarely studied systematically across agreements, and the mechanisms leading to their genesis are little understood. It is typically assumed that actors like the European Union (EU) and the United States (U. S.) work off a template when negotiating PTAs. Some argue that this allows them, amongst others, to impose a regulatory regime. This working paper attempts to put this claim to the test. Using diffusion theory as framework, it analyzes PTAs signed by the EU, the U. S. and their regional trading partners. Understanding the use of templates will help negotiating parties to assess the margin of maneuver when negotiating PTAs with the EU and the U. S. as well as the rigidity of their mandate. The analysis is conducted on a regional and a domestic level using aggregated data on PTA content and a qualitative assessment of selected PTA provisions (anti-corruption, environment and cultural cooperation). The study finds that the flexibility of these mandates is considerable and that templates, if used at all, can change substantially over time.