The old days of multilateral trade rounds are over. Mercantilist bargaining is doing more harm than good. The World Trade Organization (WTO) should adapt to the new realities by promoting liberal ideas and facilitating sound policy-making at domestic level. In particular, the trade policy...

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures that protect human, animal, and plant health are impeding trade and provoking high-profile disputes. This paper argues that the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) could play an important role in defusing the trade-disrupting potential of SPS...

To attain fundamental reform of the post-2013 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a serious debate is needed in 2009/10 that prepares the decisions to be taken in 2011/12. The paper contributes to this debate, first, by arguing that the Single Farm Payment should not become the mainstay of the...

As the Doha negotiations are at a dead end, this paper takes a step back to address the future direction of WTO disciplines in agriculture. It puts members’ negotiating positions and the draft modalities with their ever growing list of exceptions aside to focus on three fundamental questions....

Policy-makers are quarrelling about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). France intends to conclude a CAP reform during its 2008 EU Presidency before a thorough Budget Review is due in 2009 that will revise CAP spending. The Doha Round of WTO negotiations might necessitate further...

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures that protect human, animal, and plant health can impede trade and provoke high-profile disputes. This paper argues that the WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) could play an important role in defusing the trade-disrupting potential of SPS...