Everything But Arms: Much More than Appears at First Sight

Abstract:
This article examines the impact of the EU's 'Everything But Arms' initiative. Starting from the observations that the effects in terms of trade flows have been modest and that EBA nevertheless sparked fierce debate within the EU, we argue that it has had broader ramifications beyond exports of least-developed countries. Subsequently, we analyse the influence of EBA on three interrelated areas: reforming EU agricultural policy (internal), restructuring EU–ACP relations (regional) and forging a WTO round (global). We conclude that EBA has played a catalysing role in these issues, in line with the globalist-liberal preferences which have become dominant in the EU.