Non-tariff Barriers in Transatlantic Trade

This bachelor thesis focuses on technical barriers and sanitary and phytosanitary measures in EU-US trade. Differences in technical regulations and product standards lessen the efficiency of the transatlantic economy. Yet they represent an untapped economic and geopolitical potential if dealt with sensibly. The aim of this thesis is to examine EU-US approaches to politically sensitive issues that are of particular concern to consumers, producers, exporters and politicians alike. Consequently, the thesis identifies both mutual recognition agreements and barriers that have proved insurmountable so far (chapter three). Chapter one consists of basic WTO rules as well as its specific attitudes towards regulation/standardization, both of which determine EU-US trade policies significantly. An overview of current trade and investment flows between the EU and the US and the development of institutional settings for regulatory cooperation form chapter two.