Trade and Environment –

Law and Policy


Objective
: To examine structures of international trade law and international environmental law

Overview:
This module outlines the key institutions and frameworks of international trade law and environmental law. It describes the general principles and institutions that govern these bodies of law and policy, and provides an overview of their intersection.  In particular, this module reviews environmental concerns addressed in a trade law context, by analyzing WTO agreements and decisions, as well as approaches to environment and sustainable development in regional and bilateral trade agreements. In addition, it examines structures of environmental law such as Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), including those with trade measures. Case law will be used as appropriate to illustrate the interactions among these agreements.

Lecturers:
Gustavo Alanis; David Hunter

Topics covered include:
 

§        Introduction to trade law
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§        Introduction to environmental law

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§        Structures of trade law

            o WTO

                §  General Agreement on Tariffs

                   and Trade (GATT): most favoured

                   nation, national treatment,

                   quantitative restrictions

                   and exceptions (GATT articles I,  

                   III, XI and XX)

                §  Other WTO Agreements and

                   decisions that address  

                   environmental concerns

           o Regional and Bilateral Trade

               Agreements (RTAs)

               §  Overview of environmental

                  dimension

               §  Environmental provisions in trade

                  agreements

           o Domestic institutions

 

§         Structures of environmental law

           o  Multilateral Environmental

               Agreements (MEAs)

               §  Interaction with trade agreements

           o Environmental Cooperation 

              Agreements 

           o Levels of environmental protection,

              enforcement and compliance 

           o Domestic institutions

 
 

Home

 

                          Copyright

Required Readings

International Trade Law, Environment and Trade—A Hand Book, United Nations Environment Programme and International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2nd Ed. (2005), Chapter 3, pp. 25-43.

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Soto, Max Valverde, General Principles of International Environmental Law,  ILSA Journal of International and Comparative Law, Vol. 3 (1996) pp.193-209.

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GATT/WTO Settlement Practice Relating to GATT Article XX, Paragraphs (b), (d) and (g), The World Trade Organization, Committee on Trade and Environment (2002).

 

Environment and Regional Trade Agreements: Executive Summary, Organisation of Economic Co-Operation and Development (2007).     

 

Bowcott, Andy, El Tema Ambiental en Acuerdos de Libre Comercio: Una Perspectiva Canadiense, Comercio y Ambiente: Temas para Avanzar el Diálogo, M. Araya (ed.), Organización de los Estados Americanos (2000), Capítulo 9, pp.103-112.

                                       Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Environment and Trade—A Hand Book, 2nd ed., United Nations Environment Programme and International Institute for Sustainable Development (2005), Chapter 2, pp. 14-24.

The Relationship between MEAs and the WTO, Trade and Environment at the WTO, The World Trade Organization (2004), pp. 35-43.

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Domestic Environmental Law, Environmental and Natural Resources Law, The World Bank, accessed July 20, 2007.

Suggested Readings

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Fiorentino, Roberto V., Luis Verdeja and Christelle Toqueboeuf, The Changing Landscape of Regional Trade Agreements: 2006 Update, World Trade Organization Secretariat, Trade Policies Review Division, Regional Trade Agreements Section, Discussion Paper No. 12 (2007).

Matrix on Trade Measures Pursuant to Selected Multilateral Environmental Agreements, The World Trade Organization, Committee on Trade and Environment (2007).

Acuerdo Marco sobre Medio Ambiente del MERCOSUR.


Chile-European Community Association Agreement, Cooperation on the environment, Article 28.

The Dominican Republic – Central America – United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), Environment, Chapter 17
 

Agreement among the governments of Costa Rica the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the United States of America on Environmental Cooperation

 

 The Dominican Republic – Central America – United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) .Agreement Establishing a Secretariat for Environmental Matters

 

The Dominican Republic – Central America – United States Free Trade Agreement(DR-CAFTA) .Understanding Regarding the Establishment of a Secretariat for Environmental Matters

 

United States – Peru Trade Promotion Agreement,

 Environment, Chapter 18

 

United States – Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, Letter of Understanding Regarding Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge.

 

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This page was last updated on Wednesday May 09, 2012.