The GATS preamble already highlights the inevitable conflict between on the one hand achieving progressively higher levels of liberalization of trade in services in order to expand trade in services and promote growth, and on the other hand the right to introduce new regulation to meet national...

In recent years, there has been a surge in the conclusion of regional trade agreements (‘RTAs') by the European Union with trading partners across the world. These RTAs have gradually become more elaborate and substantive, thereby liberalising inter alia certain aspects of trade in services....

In 2013, the European Union (EU) initiated negotiations for regional trade agreements (RTAs) with the United States (U.S.) and Japan, two of the largest economies in the world and key trading partners. Both countries have strong offensive interests in audio-visual services, a sector in which the...

At the multilateral level, the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) regulates trade in services. Considered a framework agreement, GATS contains a built-in negotiation mandate to further develop disciplines on services trade. These negotiations have, in the context of the Doha Round,...

The Pacific Islands are small, developing island states which are challenged by their small size, geographical isolation and the unvaried production possibilities. Increased trade in services, facilitated by the ICT revolution, may provide for some much needed economic development. After...