2 THE ITALIAN LAW JOURNAL NO. 2 (2016)

The Notion of ‘Cultural Diversity’ in 
the EU Trade Agreements and Negotiations:
New Challenges and Perspectives 
 

by Lucia Bellucci 

This article analyses the notion of ‘cultural diversity’ as adopted within and adapted for the European Union’s (EU) external trade relations. Its law in context approach, underlines the socio-political framework in which the notion of ‘cultural diversity’ has taken shape, and the conflicting interests involved in its negotiation, promotion and protection. This article explains the concept of cultural diversity as first developed within the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and then the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada. It argues that CETA brings new perspectives with regard to the notion of ‘cultural diversity’ into EU external trade relations and that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations may represent a challenge to this notion. It contributes to furthering our understanding of these agreements and offering a few remarks on their impact on cultural diversity. 

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