University of Twente Student Theses

Login

Food safety regulation across the Atlantic : conflict or cooperation?

Rathke, L.M. (2017) Food safety regulation across the Atlantic : conflict or cooperation?

[img] PDF
1MB
Abstract:The European Union and the United States have the largest bilateral trade relationship worldwide: In 2016, the EU imported goods worth €246.8 billion from the US, while exporting the equivalent of €365 billion. Despite this high volume of trade and the resulting economic interdependence, their relationship has frequently been plagued trade disputes, notably in the area of food. This thesis examines and compares the regulatory approaches of EU and US in the area of food safety, with a focus on genetically modified crops, in order to determine whether regulatory convergence is realistic. Two conflicting hypotheses are examined: According to Realism, the outcomes of interaction between EU and US are determined by their relative power resources. In contract, the Government Network Paradigm predicts frequent interactions between regulators and convergence on best practices. The analysis suggests that there is little evidence for convergence in the area of genetically modified foods due to the politicisation of the conflict and insurmountable differences between EU and US regulatory cultures. At the same time, convergence in other areas can be observed, which is achieved through mutual recognition agreements rather than full regulatory harmonisation.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:83 economics, 88 social and public administration, 89 political science
Programme:European Studies MSc (69303)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/74055
Export this item as:BibTeX
EndNote
HTML Citation
Reference Manager

 

Repository Staff Only: item control page