tailieunhanh - FTAs and the crisis in the European car industry

A listing of state charity offices is available through the National Association of State Charity Officials at . A listing of state attorneys general is available through the National Association of Attorneys General at . Contact your state charity official if you have a concern or complaint that a charity or fundraiser is not complying with state laws. | Jr ECIPEỊ policy briefs No. 02 2012 ISSN 1653-8994 FTAs and the crisis in the European car industry A free trade position on the car crisis and the Economic Integration Agreement EU-Japan FTA Hosuk Lee-Makiyama Director European Centre for International Political Economy ECIPE INTRODUCTION Negotiating FTAs in a time of crisis1 The economic crisis in the EU is beginning to affect all areas of policymaking. EU trade policy is no exception. The current strategy relies on concluding comprehensive bilateral free trade agreements FTAs with Asian and emerging economies and has so far delivered the landmark agreement with Korea. However the EU and its Member States find themselves increasingly unable to pursue FTA negotiations with large economies that would have a real impact on growth and jobs. The need to tap into markets outside the Single Market is urgent in the wake of the recession and the euro FTAs with big markets cannot be pursued with the expectation that the EU would win in every sector. Unlike the small and mid-sized economies that make up the current FTA candidates large economies are almost on equal footing with the Single Market. The US China Japan and India engage in their own regional and bilateral negotiations and successfully leverage their market size for concessions. However the attractiveness of the EU as a FTA partner is dented by the meagre growth projections. SUMMARY The crisis-struck EU finds it increasingly difficult to engage in trade negotiations with large-sized economies that would have a meaningful impact on growth. Some parts of the European car industry are opposing a FTA with Japan due to defensive interests following the crisis in EU car manufacturing. But such a position is misguided The crisis in the car industry has its roots in long-term decline in innovation competitiveness and focus on low-profit segments. The crisis was neither caused or worsened by foreign imports whose drop in sales was disproportionate to cars made in