Global Standards and EU Law: Conclusions

This concluding chapter brings together the findings from the book. It highlights the diverse landscape of global regulators and their varied standard-setting processes in the various areas covered in the volume, concluding that participation and transparency, and in general due process requirements, are adhered to erratically and incoherently at the international level. The chapter examines the multiple paths and vehicles through which global standards enter the EU legal system, including legislative acts, executive rule-making, and soft law. It identifies tensions between this incorporation process and EU principles of good governance, particularly regarding accountability, transparency, and participation. It highlights that the incorporation methods used do not consistently compensate for deficits at the global level. The authors suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective, calling instead for a nuanced, systematic modulation of incorporation techniques to preserve EU principles of good governance. The chapter concludes by emphasising the need for further discussion on the broader constitutional implications of incorporating global standards into EU law.