Reflecting on more than 10 years of research on world trade law and sustainable development

• Department of Law

This event features a presentation by Giovanni Gruni (Esade Ramon Llull University), sharing his reflections on the field of trade and sustainability, followed by a discussion of the themes raised.

Abstract

World trade law, since its inception, has not been designed to accommodate labour and environmental standards. However, a debate emerged in academia and politics since the late 90s on the need to include them during the negotiation of international trade treaties. Today, it is common to include these sustainability issues when concluding trade agreements. During my LLM at the EUI, I spent most of my time studying labour standards in world trade law. Until now, this research theme has accompanied me throughout my career in academia. This research line peaked a few years ago when a publication contributed to the EU commission changing its stance on the enforcement of labour and environmental standards in its FTAs.

In this presentation, I want to tell the story of this research line that has accompanied me throughout my academic career. I will also explain the personal and academic reasons why I am considering moving forward to a different research topic.