The challenge of developing robust methodologies to undertake ex ante and/or ex post sustainability assessments of trade policies remains largely unmet. In cooperation with further members of the CAT-E network Ecologic analyses and develops methodological approaches for sustainable impact assessments for specific trade areas.

In the past most assessments of links between trade, environment and policies have focused on trade in goods or on unilateral domestic liberalisation measures. Other issue areas of the trade agenda currently under multilateral or bilateral negotiations, such as trade in services, investment and intellectual property rights have received much less attention.         

Given the distinctive methodological challenges for each of these areas, the SIA-Method project explores the limits and potential for enlarging the use of models for sustainability assessments. In particular, the research seeks to develop assessment methodologies in the following areas:

• methodologies for product chain assessments;
• assessments of specific service sectors;
• assessment of investment;
• assessment of Intellectual Property Rights;
• assessment of commodity markets; and
• techniques for stakeholder consultation.

The results are represented and discussed at a policy workshop at the end of 2006.