GATS : Domestic Regulations versus Market Access

The paper highlights the dilemma faced by developing countries in balancing market access rights with the need to regulate service providers, in light of the ongoing negotiations under Article VI:4 of GATS that aims to discipline the regulatory freedom of WTO Members. While regulation is an essential development tool and regulatory requirements ensure that domestic consumers get qualitatively the best services, the very same tools often become insurmountable market access barriers for developing country service providers in the WTO regime of MFN. [WTO Research Series 7]