Trade agreements within the European Union

This is a scientific text about the evolvement of trading within and outside the European Community. A topic currently being of high political/international relevance when just thinking of the US massively questionning trade agreements with China or Europe. Elsa and Chiara lead us back to the eighties, when the  so called “Single European Act” , the ban of as well visible and invisible trading barriers was  decided for in the member states.  Also,  the 4 freedoms which secure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within Europe were realized at that time. They define the three main types of trade agreements 1) Economic Partner Agreements (EPA), Free Trade Adreements (FTA), and Association Agreements (AA). In focussing on (modern) FTAs like for exmple CETA – the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement they clearly demonstrate the economic impacts on several levels for Europe, Canada and third countries.