72

The difficulty in defining the concept of restructuring is well established in the literature on the subject. Today, industrial restructuring is a striking feature of the European economic landscape. Patterns of restructuring vary from one country to another and across sectors. However, whatever the approach, restructuring represents an attempt to manage and anticipate change, simultaneously tackling issues of economic, social, and environmental significance. The negotiation process leading to international trade agreements traditionally leaves very little room to the involvement of private actors, whether as participants or by giving them indirect influence. What instruments therefore are capable of fostering a reconciliation between bilateral trade negotiations and the interests of companies, allowing the latter to have their voice heard at the European level? Through the analysis of restructuring actions in the textile and sugar sectors, this paper attempts to answer the question over the coherence between social policy and international trade negotiations.