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Module II: 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, this module 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: Marcos A. Orellana (Day 1) , David Hunter (Day 2)

Topics covered in this module include

• Introduction to trade law

• Introduction to environmental law

• Structures of trade law

            o WTO

                -  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT): most favored 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

Required Readings:

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

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

• 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, 2^nd 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.

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

Suggested Readings:

• 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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