The unsustainable production and consumption patterns leading to a problem with waste management require technical and administrative solution on a local, regional or national level. Efforts may be challenged by processes of globalisation and international politics. The author discusses the...

In this paper we take a systematic look at recent trends in global protectionism and at the potential implications of a protectionist backlash for economic growth, using results from the recent economic literature and new model simulations. We find that there has so far been a moderate increase...

It is reasonable to ask whether the WTO's rules may hamper the ability of national and sub-national governments to be genuine pacesetters in environmental law making. Environmentalists consider that the WTO's disputes panels may encourage governments to converge to the relevant international...

Existing theories make divergent predictions about the impact of new powers on the global political economy. Some argue that a more even distribution of power will erode international cooperation, while others argue that cooperation can continue with the help of international institutions to...

We demonstrate that durable MFN tariff elimination affects trade patterns through several layers, and magnitudes of effects are sizable. The WTO Information Technology Agreement’s (ITA) unique setting allows us to overcome the challenges associated with identifying effects of...

The growth of the Philippine economy has been erratic since 1980's. It is only until recently that it shows signs of catching up with the progress of its fellow Asian countries. Whether its recovery is sustainable at the aggregate level remains largely a question. Agriculture sector, however, is...

GMOs have brought new concerns into an already challenged world trading system. This paper considers the jointly enodogenous formation of GMO-related standards and sub-global trading agreements. Standards are understood as tolerance levels for GMOs. Sub-global trading agreements may be either...

The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)—a system of differential and favorable trade arrangements toward less developed countries, adopted by the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT)—has been around since the early 1970s. A primary objective of these schemes has been to promote...

In recent decades, free trade agreements have been proliferated and have become a major part of the global trading system, along with the multilateral framework represented by the World Trade Organizations. This article discusses some of the major issues with FTA in relation to the WTO...

The current world trading system lacks a procedure to identify developing country Members, to whom "Special and Differential Treatment" (SDT) is granted. Based on the analysis of five methods of identifying developing country Members, which are GATT Article XVIII definition, listing,...