Ex post evaluations of two EU trade agreements

For the European Commission's DG TRADE, we are conducting ex post evaluations of the EU's trade agreements with Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and with Central America. The two studies assess the economic, social, environmental and human rights impacts of the trade agreements, as well as the performance of the implementation and monitoring institutions established under them.

More information is available on the respective evaluation study websites: EU-Colombia/Ecuador/Peru and EU-Central America.

 

Advancing Gender Equality through Voluntary Standards for Trade

Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) have emerged as one of the main tools used to articulate, encourage and enforce sustainable and ethical practices in global value chains. With this study we explore the nature and evolution of VSS and assess their potential contribution to gender equality and women’s empowerment (SDG 5). The purpose of the study is to enable policymakers in developing and emerging economies to identify opportunities to engage with VSS initiatives as a means to deliver on gender commitments while also promoting trade and economic development.  

Modernisation of the EU-Chile trade agreement - sustainability impact assessment

The final study assessing the impact of the modernisation of the EU-Chile trade agreement has now been published, along with the position paper prepared by the European Commission. The study analyses which economic, social, environmental, and human rights impact the agreement's modernisation could have, depending on the outcomes of the ongoing negotiations.

For more information, including executive summaries and other reports, visit the study website.

Guidance Note on Data Analysis for Gender and Trade Assessments

The first step in gender-aware economic analysis involves building the statistical picture of an economy as a gendered structure. Such a picture, if appropriately disaggregated in terms of production sectors, workers’ and households’ characteristics can provide a useful baseline from which to track the direct and indirect effects of trade changes by gender. By highlighting existing inequalities, it can help assess whether proposed trade reforms and agreements are likely to redress or intensify bottlenecks to women’s access to economic resources and opportunities. It can also guide the selection of relevant indicators for ex-post monitoring.

This guide offers an introduction to gender-aware data analysis for assessing distributional effects of international trade at the country level. It describes conceptual frameworks and data sources and shows how to use statistical data to understand the linkages between changes in trade policies and various dimensions of gender inequality. The guide is designed primarily for data analysts and policy advisers. It could also be of help to women’s organizations and other civil society stakeholders involved in trade consultations.

Download guide

Assessment of European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) and EFSD Guarantee Fund - Final Report

We have recently completed the Independent assessment of the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) and the EFSD Guarantee Fund. The final report produced by out team has now been published by the European Commission and can downloaded directly from the Commission website. The Commission has also prepared a press release related to the study with links to their own report, based on the study, to the European Parliament and the Council.