Making globalisation work for everyone. The European Union and world trade

Globalisation means that the flows of goods, services, capital, technologies and people are spreading worldwide, as countries everywhere open up to wider contact with each other. Globalisation can create more wealth for everybody, but it can also be disruptive and needs to be harnessed by international rules. When business goes global, the rules for fair play must also be set globally. The European Union (EU) represents all its Member States on questions of trade policy and within the World Trade Organisation. This booklet describes how the EU works for transparent and fair trade rules worldwide, and tries to mitigate the negative sides of globalisation by making sure that the developing countries benefit from free trade. The European Union involves citizens in trade policy and includes environmental and social rules in trade agreements.