Labour provisions in EU trade agreements: What potential for channelling labour standardsrelated capacity building?

The labour provisions of the EU's trade agreements have been of limited effectiveness as a means of enforcing labour standards within the jurisdictions of the respective parties. However, the author argues, these provi-sions could serve other useful purposes in this regard. In particular, he focuses on their potential as a framework for channelling capacity-building activities relating to labour standards through the EU's development cooperation instruments. He also considers options for increasing the potential effectiveness of labour provisions in framing capacity-building activities through a change in their design, particularly by reducing the parties' discretion in applying the relevant provisions.