Methodological issues in the impact assessment of trade policy: experience from the European Commission's Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) programme

Abstract

Since 1999, the European Commission has subjected its external trade negotiations to a sus-tainability impact assessment (SIA) study. These studies have been undertaken by independent experts using a standard methodological framework developed at the University of Manchester. This paper provides a critical evaluation of the SIA programme over the past seven years, draws a number of good-practice lessons, and highlights the areas where further refinement and development of the methodology is needed.

Keywords:

• trade
• integrated assessment
• sustainability appraisal
• social impacts
• economic impacts
• policy appraisal