The effectiveness of Trade and Sustainable Development chapters in EU FTAs: comparative analysis and the Vietnam case study

Over the past decades, the European Union has progressively transformed its trade policy from a primarily market-oriented instrument into a broader tool for promoting social, environmental, and human rights standards at the global level. This thesis examines the design, implementation, and effectiveness of Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters in EU free trade agreements. The study is situated within the broader evolution of the EU as a normative actor, focusing on the gradual political consolidation of sustainable development and on the increasing use of trade policy as an instrument of external action. The thesis engages with the academic debate on EU trade conditionality by bringing together legal, political economy, and policy-oriented perspectives. It discusses the work of scholars who have analysed the legal limits of TSD chapters, their enforcement mechanisms, and the tensions that arise from sustainability commitments. It also considers political economy explanations, especially the role of domestic economic interests and levels of economic integration in shaping the stringency of sustainability provisions. Finally, it examines the real-world effects of TSD chapters, including their potential to generate both positive and negative spillovers. Methodologically, the thesis adopts a qualitative and comparative approach based on the analysis of primary legal and institutional sources, supported by secondary academic literature. After providing a historical and legal framework, it compares TSD provisions across different EU trade agreements and then focuses on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement as a case study of the Union’s approach to trade-based sustainability in Asia. The thesis argues that, despite the growing centrality of sustainability in EU trade policy, the effectiveness of TSD chapters remains limited by enforcement deficits, political-economic constraints, and the complexity of applying a uniform model across diverse partners.