The paper
The paper examines how voluntary European Union standards affect agricultural exports. It shows why standards can act as barriers in some markets and as useful market information in others.
Research findings
- Non-harmonized EU standards are particularly trade-inhibiting for raw or lightly processed products; the pattern differs across sectors and exporters.
- Standards aligned with international norms often have weaker negative trade effects, and can be trade-promoting in some sectors.
Policy takeaways
- Include voluntary standards alongside mandatory regulations when assessing effective access to agricultural markets.
- Pair market access initiatives with technical assistance and compliance capacity, particularly for developing-country exporters of less processed goods.