This suggestion was rather quickly implemented by the EU after I proposed it to the EU Parliament. The EU Commission chose to detach investment-treaties (which require a long procedure with the member-states) from trade & services agreements, which the EU-Commission can conclude in a fast-track way.
30 January 2017
The EU needs "lego-system" for trade & services arrangements
By: Karsten Riise
The EU needs a comprehensive Africa trade deal, that can help African countries develop by allowing Africa much more access to the European Single Market. See
http://www.bmz.de/en/what_we_do/countries_regions/marshall_plan_with_africa/index.html
The EU should also quickly be able offer an enhanced trade-deal with Mexico, to assist Mexico develop, if Mexico should experience a deterioration of its trade-terms with Mexico's market to the North. When EU relations with Russia normalize, a new trade deal with Russia will be needed. Many more trade deals will be needed for the EU in the future. And of course, the EU after Brexit needs a new deal with the UK.
The ability to close a new trade-deal (or modify one) is a very important "soft-power" in EU's foreign policy and security policy. And sometimes there is need to move rather fast.
All the above examples imply larger degrees of exchange with the EU in goods, services and investments - three of EU's so-called "four freedoms". But all the examples above specifically must exclude the fourth freedom, free movement of labor.
The EU needs a principled approach - with lego-elements to build with The EU needs a concept - a "lego-system" to plug-in various elements to configure new deals with anyone - to avoid "taylor-making" every deal from scratch.
The EU also needs a treaty between all members, where the member states give a mandate (within specified limits) where the Commission with approval from the Council and the Parliament can close new trade deals - without further approval procedure within each memberstate.
The EU Commission should have a power-of-attorney, at document which specifies a range of deal-making options on behalf of all members. All member-states should sign this power-of-attorney to the EU. Member-states should so-to speak "ratify trade-treaties beforehand", on the condition that all final treaties are finally approved by a majorityprocedure in the EU Council and the EU Parliament.
The EU is at risk to lose opportunities in "soft-power" by slow maneuvering.
Karsten Riise
Partner & Editor
CHANGE NEWS &
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
