<p>The European Union is following two incompatible economic strategies. On the one hand, the European Union wants to be a player in geopolitics and intends to use trade policy to increase its power in international relations. On the other hand, Brussels wants to set standards, particularly in three fields: the production of certain products shall have little or no CO² emissions, people in developing countries shall not be exploited and agricultural products shall not be coming from recently deforested land. Whilst the good intentions of the policy makers in Brussels are obvious and laudable, the effects of the three measures will reduce the European Union’s relevance in international economic relations. Rather than improving the welfare of people in developing countries, the EU’s policies are leading to self-isolation and a diminishing relevance of Brussels. Today, economies in Africa, Asia and Latin America have the option of doing business with China, Russia and non-aligned countries. A European Union that insists on unilateral measures in international trade weakens, rather than strengthens, its relevance in international affairs.</p>