<p>Increasing energy needs globally have recently led to an interest in effectively bringing energy services in the trading system. Energy services were part of the Uruguay Round of negotiations, whose main achievement was the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The objective of the GATS is to achieve progressive liberalisation and reduction or elimination of trade barriers of all services sectors, including energy services. The GATS has made commendable progress in liberalising many service sectors, however it has not made meaningful progress with energy services. Furthermore though the SADC region engages in energy services trade through bilateral and regional agreements, a variety of&nbsp / barriers inhibit major successes from being achieved. Effective energy services trade and liberalisation has therefore proved problematic both at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level. This study, seeks to investigate why energy services liberalisation and trade at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level is problematic, with a particular focus on&nbsp / the SADC region.</p>

<p>Increasing energy needs globally have recently led to an interest in effectively bringing energy services in the trading system. Energy services were part of the Uruguay Round of negotiations, whose main achievement was the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The objective of the GATS is to achieve progressive liberalisation and reduction or elimination of trade barriers of all services sectors, including energy services. The GATS has made commendable progress in liberalising many service sectors, however it has not made meaningful progress with energy services. Furthermore though the SADC region engages in energy services trade through bilateral and regional agreements, a variety of&nbsp / barriers inhibit major successes from being achieved. Effective energy services trade and liberalisation has therefore proved problematic both at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level. This study, seeks to investigate why energy services liberalisation and trade at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level is problematic, with a particular focus on&nbsp / the SADC region.</p>

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Increasing energy needs globally have recently led to an interest in effectively bringing energy services in the trading system. Energy services were part of the Uruguay Round of negotiations, whose main achievement was the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The objective of the GATS is to achieve progressive liberalisation and reduction or elimination of trade barriers of all services sectors, including energy services. The GATS has made commendable progress in liberalising many service sectors, however it has not made meaningful progress with energy services. Furthermore though the SADC region engages in energy services trade through bilateral and regional agreements, a variety of barriers inhibit major successes from being achieved. Effective energy services trade and liberalisation has therefore proved problematic both at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level. This study, seeks to investigate why energy services liberalisation and trade at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level is problematic, with a particular focus on the SADC region. / South Africa

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Increasing energy needs globally have recently led to an interest in effectively bringing energy services in the trading system. Energy services were part of the Uruguay Round of negotiations, whose main achievement was the General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS). The objective of the GATS is to achieve progressive liberalisation and reduction or elimination of trade barriers of all services sectors, including energy services. The GATS has made commendable progress in liberalising many service sectors, however it has not made meaningful progress with energy services. Furthermore though the SADC region engages in energy services trade through bilateral and regional agreements, a variety of barriers inhibit major successes from being achieved. Effective energy services trade and liberalisation has therefore proved problematic both at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level. This study,seeks to investigate why energy services liberalisation and trade at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level is problematic, with a particular focus on the SADC region.

Multilateral trade negotiations are widely influenced by various forms of cooperation among countries and by international organizations. There is a wide spectrum of differences in cooperation between the Uruguay and the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations. Multilateral forums of developed countries are not able to provide sufficient impetus for negotiations, views of developing countries must be considered. There are differences in formation of coalition of countries, which are more wide-spread and more influential, though mainly by setting the negotiations agenda. There has been even a shift in policies of multilateral organizations; their direct and indirect influence is more noticeable. Though financial crisis led to diversion from multilateral trade issues, changed some positions, since 2009 there are signals, that there might be a shift in negotiations leading to successful conclusion of the Doha negotiations.

This diploma thesis aims to set a complex view on the current process of multilateral trade agreements under the World Trade Organization and point out the direction of DOHA negotiations. The emphasis is put on the Tenth Ministerial Conference, which took place in Nairobi in December 2015. Stances and demands of the WTO member are analysed step by step. The thesis considers threats that possibly come from plurilateral, bilateral and regional agreements and evaluate a potential risk for the multilateral trading system. For this purpose, the thesis is divided into four chapters. First chapter examine theoretical introduction to WTO and particularly to Development Doha Agenda, which is important for subsequent understanding of actual issues. Second part analyses in detail the negotiations in main negotiating parts of DDA before and after a summer break. Following chapter fluently continues with analyse of the progress after summer break and points out some current questions about preparations for MC10 and expectations. Space is also given to the MC10 and its outcomes. Finally, the last chapter gives a thought to future scenarios concerning function of the WTO.