This contribution investigates the form and content of a new and updated European Union (EU) legal framework intended to regulate third-country import pipelines for gas, including the ‘upstream' component of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The article will first set the scene and examine the...

This study empirically investigates the impact of public procurement regulation quality on the competition for tenders and the cost-effectiveness of awarded contracts, by employing the World Bank's Benchmarking Public Procurement and EuroPAM Public Procurement quality scores. Using extensive...

The economic importance of public procurement within the EU is undeniable, given its pre-eminent role in the overall economic performance of the Union. Its regulation is thus conceived as a priority. Further, the creation of an EU-wide level playing field for economic operators is submitted as...

This paper develops a taxonomy of government procurement (GP) measures to provide a basis for further analysis. It aims to undertake a more comprehensive, albeit not exhaustive, collection of GP barriers across countries, and to develop a classification system of GP measures to facilitate...

The OECD developed a taxonomy of measures affecting government procurement which provides a classification system for different GP measures, policies and procedures, which can impact cross-border government procurement. This project aims to further assist countries in assessing their procurement...

GATT Article III:4 aims at equal treatment in respect of competitive opportunities of imports and competing domestic products by preventing protectionism. A key question is whether regulations with heavier burdens on imported products than on domestic products and a valid regulatory purpose are...

This paper empirically investigates the impact of public procurement regulation quality on competition and cost-effectiveness. I employ the World Bank's Benchmarking Public Procurement quality scores. Using extensive data about public procurement in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and...

Services is the fastest-growing sector of today's global economy and trade in services is the most dynamic segment of world trade. However, its potential remains constrained by a variety of barriers: trade costs are estimated to be almost double those in goods, and more than 40% of trade costs...

When it comes to services traded through the international movement of individuals (mode 4), Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) have increasingly adopted trade-facilitating disciplines that both build upon and innovate the GATS framework. By analysing relevant provisions of RTAs, we are able to...

Most governments have yet to agree to binding disciplines on government procurement regulation, whether in the WTO or a preferential trade agreement. Empirical research suggests that reciprocally-negotiated market access commitments have not been effective in inducing governments to buy more...