ABSTRACT
The aim of Chapter 4 is to explore specific legal mechanisms the EU value-promoting RTAs use to uphold the rule of law components. The value-promoting RTAs under study include the EU SAAs with Western Balkans, the AAs/DCFTAs with Eastern Neighbours and the EU‑CARIFORUM EPA. In particular, the analysis targets the rule of law dimension of the “essential element” clauses (across all the agreements), the DCFTAs’ “Transparency” chapters and the chapters on administrative cooperation (across all the agreements), as well as “deep” disciplines (public procurement and competition). We show that that the EU value-promoting RTAs are capable of advancing the whole spectrum of the rule of law standards through an array of instruments, such as the imposition of basic standards, legislative approximation and market access conditionality, obligations as to the exchange of information and cooperation and the recourse to international law standards.
