Hanson: What happened to fortress Europe?

Hanson, BT. 2003. What happened to fortress Europe?: external trade policy liberalization in the European Union. International Organization 52, no. 01: 55-85.

Many feared that, with the integration of Europe, there would be an inward focus for trade as price incentives would push producers to trade with their European community as tariffs fell. This was refered to as Fortress Europe.

"What is most remarkable about European trade policy in the 1990s is that, despite ominous warnings and theoretical expectations, fortress Europe has not been built. To the contrary, this article shows that since the late 1980s not only have few new trade barriers been erected, but external trade policy in Europe has been significantly liberalized in recent years, even in politically and economically sensitive sectors. This marks a significant departure from the past and occurred at a time when liberalization was least expected" (56).

"I argue that European integration has played a considerable role in the liberalization of European external trade policy by changing the institutional context in which trade policy is made, creating a systematic bias toward liberalization over increased protection" (56).