The European Community Treaty grants a more limited role to European Parliament (EP) in terms of trade policy: according to current treaty, “assent” of EP may be required for major treaty ratifications, when covering more than trade. However, Commission favours greater Parliamentary involvement in Trade Policy and hence consults and informs Parliament as systematically as possible. It supports a more formal extension of Parliament’s powers over trade policy. The draft Constitutional Treaty of EU provides for a major extension of EP’s power over trade policy.

The current WTO trade round, Doha Development Agenda, provides a good example of how trade policy is coordinated in practice. The Commission sets and carries forward priorities and aims of EU as laid down in guidelines given by Council of Ministers. Officials from Commission's Directorate General for Trade, under authority of Commissioner are charged with actually conducting negotiations, and speak on behalf of EU as a whole. Coordination with Member States is assured at all times through 133 Committee, while Commission regularly informs Parliament. At end of Round, Council has to agree formally outcome.

To remedy this lack of commitment of Member States, Commission proposed to establish a new kind of partnership with Member States. It also decided to focus efforts on two main areas: productivity and employment. To make things simpler and more coherent, there shall be just one national growth programme and one EU growth plan.

The European Union cannot boost productivity and employment if Member State do not do their part.