Context: Negotiations for the signing of a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union (CETA) have not only revived the debate on the relevance of liberalization, they have also raised fears, many of which are legitimate. Others are questionable, even unreasonable. CETA is evolving within the context of the worldwide proliferation of regional trade agreements for the “new generation” whose application in different areas continues to expand while the ability of different member states to apply regulatory measures diminishes as a result. This atrophy of regulatory power combined with the growing inability of states to deal individually with the economic and social challenges they face only serves to reinforce such fears.

Role: The Observatory is interested in the impact of economic integration on domestic and comparative law. As an established centre of excellence, the Observatory brings together national and international researchers from different backgrounds. It is a centre for training and research that promotes scientific exchanges and cooperation between researchers, students, members of civil society and the business world.