The Comitology Reform in the EU: Potential Effects on Trade Defence Instruments

The reform of the EU comitology system, enacted with Regulation 182/11, had the effect of extending the general principles regulating the Commission's exercise of implementing powers to the trade defence instruments' (TDIs) procedures, which, before the reform, were regulated by an autonomous discipline. This article offers an overview of the modifications brought about to TDI's comitology by Reg. 182/11 and identyies the possible consequences of the new discipline. The analysis benefited from the results of an empirical simulation, consisting in the application of the new voting methodology to past procedures of TDIs. The authors conclude, among the others, that the new system will likely reduce the usual political interferences in the Commission activities regarding TDIs, and it will settle a number of shortcomings of the old system.