The Czech Republic's Participation in the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America and its Policy Implications

University College London - School of Slavonic and East European Studies Univerzita Karlova v Praze - Charles University in Prague - Faculty of Social Sciences International Masters in Economy, State & Society - Economics and Business Andrés Morales Interiano UCL Student Number: 14082525 The Czech Republic's Participation in the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America and its Policy Implications Master's Thesis Supervisors: Dr Filipa Figueira (UCL) and Dr Pavel Vacek (Charles University) 20 May 2016 - Prague, Czech Republic Abstract: Preferential Trade Agreements have become evermore popular in the worldwide market economy and have raised much interest in academics and policy-makers alike. This paper studies the participation that the Czech Republic had in the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America during the pre- negotiation and negotiation rounds, and the effects that it brought to the Czech Republic's trade policies and trade flow with the mentioned region. It focuses on a qualitative approach of the Political Economy of Regionalism and liberal perspective to explain how the Czech Republic participated in this agreement previous to its signature in 2012 and views some of the consequences it has caused after its provisional application. It finds..