Liberalizacja swobody przepływu usług a międzynarodowy handel usługami w Unii Europejskiej: wymiana wewnątrzunijna a handel zewnętrzny

Abstract

Trade in services is becoming increasingly important in the international economy. That is so due to the economic and social development, as well as technological development. The European Union is involved in the processes of liberalizing trade in services on a global scale, as well as undertakes a number of activities regarding the liberalization of the provision of services between its Member States. The aim of the paper is to assess changes in the European trade in services in the context of intra-EU and external EU trade. The article discusses issues concerning the specifics and determinants of international trade in services, analysis of intra- and extra-EU trade in particular types of services, and whether changes in the structure of the European trade in services result from liberalization activities undertaken by the EU institutions. Analysis, taken for the period 2008–2016 using the WTO statistics, indicate that despite the efforts made, the development of international trade in services in the EU depends primarily on economic and technological factors, rather than on institutional factors. Especially that there are numerous barriers to the free movement of services on the EU internal market.

Keywords

• services
• european union
• trade in services
• intra-eu trade
• determinants
• liberalization