An argument can be made that the WTO and the EU are working against each other. One example of this is the fact that trade disputes between the EU and nations outside of the EU are heard and arbitrated by the WTO. To the extent that EU Commissioners or member nations believe that the WTO is biased against the EU in hearing these disputes, an argument could be made that the EU and the WTO are working against each other.
The WTO advocates increasing global trade and increasingly open markets. This implies the elimination of tariffs and quotas on imports in order to create what might be described as a global free trade zone. To the extent that EU members might view this as a threat to the existence or benefit of EU membership to member nations, it might be suggested that the EU and the WTO are working against each other.
The WTO advocates for global free trade. The EU has an economic agenda, and a social agenda, a human rights agenda, and an environmental agenda. To the extent that the current principles of public international law do not offer guidance on how to deal with conflicts between rules that promote public policy goals, such as enhancing trade vs. protecting the environment, an argument could be made that the EU and WTO are working against each other.
On the other hand, there are similarities between the goals of the EU and the WTO. The WTO's goal is to lower tariffs and non-tariff barriers to increase international trade. In an essay published on the World Trade Organization website, there is no mention of discord between the EU and the WTO and the essay suggests that the WTO and EU are collaborating on various issues. This essay states, in part:
"In the WTO, the EU plays a leading role and is a proponent of a new round of negotiations with an agenda that is broader than the one built-in to the Uruguay Round. The EU practices a policy of transparency on its own WTO documents, and engages its civil societ...