ABSTRACT
The relationship between the European Union (EU) and United States (US) tends to be complex and multifaceted. Relations are variously depicted as cyclical, intergovernmental and fundamental to multilateralism and crisis-driven. They are driven also by and tend to ‘ignite’ geopolitics, as much as complex domestic issues and themes. The transatlantic partnership may well be an iconic partnership for a long time, fundamental to the global economy and world security. Yet, it has long been one of the ‘problem children’ of international economic law for over decades. Moreover, the EU and US have consistently shaped international approaches to public international law, albeit distinctively and differently. The transatlantic partnership is significant for its regular, high-profile and many experiments in transnational governance, mainly failed ones, often failed through components thereof rather than the sum of its parts. The failings and failures of transatlantic cooperation through law are plentiful, doomed to failure through non-compliance, plagued with sub-optimal remedies.
