Sustainable Development in EU Trade Agreements and New Informal CTIPs

We warmly invite you to a talk by Professor Markus Gehring (University of Cambridge) on “Sustainable Development in EU Trade Agreements and New Informal Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIPs) – Fit for the 21st Century?”. The event will take place at the University of Glasgow, hosted by the Glasgow Centre for International Law and Security.

Professor Gehring is Professor of European and International Law at Cambridge, Fellow at Hughes Hall, and a leading scholar in international economic law and sustainable development. He has advised governments and international organisations on trade, climate, and biodiversity issues, and his extensive publications have shaped debates on how international trade law can advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In this talk, Professor Gehring will argue that the EU’s trade policy will only be “fit for the 21st century” if it embeds climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development objectives across both binding free trade agreements (FTAs) and emerging informal Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIPs). While FTAs are increasingly incorporating enforceable Trade and Sustainable Development commitments, CTIPs raise concerns around transparency, accountability, and enforceability. He will propose a model that combines the strengths of both, ensuring alignment with Paris and CBD obligations, participatory monitoring, and robust non-regression safeguards.

The discussion will highlight how, with careful institutional design, the EU can reconcile economic security with sustainability and deliver meaningful cooperation for partners worldwide.

We hope you will join us for this timely and important conversation.