This contribution is the most comprehensive treatise to date of the GATS market access provision. The authors analyze several contentious issues under GATS in an exhaustive manner and provide guidance as to the adequate interpretation of various concepts

This contribution deals with the issue of business confidential information as a general exception to the obligations that WTO Members have under the GATS. It mainly draws from existing case-law under the GATT to offer a possible interpretation of the concepts entailed in Article III bis of the GATS

This contribution aims to provide an authoritative interpretation of one of the most important GATS provisions, namely the General Exceptions provisions. Drawing parallels with relevant interpretations under the GATT and critically assessing relevant case-law under both GATT and GATS allows the...

This commentary on the security exception provision embedded in the GATS pioneers in that it discusses issues of national security relating to trade in services in a dynamic manner taking into account current threats and contentious issues relating to WTO Members' essential security interests....

This contribution provides a thorough analysis of Article III of the GATS concerning transparency. Drawing from case-law under the GATT as well as regional courts such as the European Court of Justice, the contribution aims to offer an interpretation of ambiguous concepts under this GATS provision

Owing to innovations and a growing consumer demand for better and safer products, the number of technical standards has been steadily increasing in recent years. As standardization is a major catalyst to global commerce, The World Trade Organization (WTO), a typical consensus-driven...

As the recent financial crisis started unfolding, governments intervened through substantive subsidies and other benefits towards financial institutions to avoid their collapse. In addition, various stimulus packages were endorsed to rescue various sectors of the economy, including the financial...

Due to legislative and judicial developments, standard-setting has come to the forefront of public debates. Being for a long time considered as a 'no passing zone' for everyone but engineers and technical experts, standard-setting organizations (SSOs) have produced a rowing solid body of...

Trade regulation may never have been in more flux than it is now. Other than the emergence of ‘megaregionals' (such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership-TTIP or the Trans-pacific Partnership-TPP) and the difficulties in finalizing the Doha Development Agenda, increased...

The conclusion of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) constitutes a priority and key component of the new external trade policy of the European Union (EU) and an immediate follow-up to several years of regulatory cooperation between the two global trade powers. In an era of...