The Council has noted that a further multilateral change of trade was the best way to meet the challenges posed by economic and technological change and increasing globalisation.
F.eks. fremgår det af en meget citeret undersøgelse fra Verdensbanken fra 2005, at den mulige gevinst ved fuld liberalisering af global vareudveksling vil andrage ca. 65 miliarder amerikanske dollars for EFTA-landene og de 25 i EU indtil 2015.