Diss. Univ. Bremen, 2007. / Im Anhang engl. Vorschriftensammlung.

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are measures aimed at the protection of human, animal and plant life and health within specified territories from the risks associated with the introduction and spread of pests and diseases through trade. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) developed an agreement on the application of SPS measures. South Africa is a member of both the WTO and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In SADC, SPS measures are provided for in the SADC Sanitary and Phytosanitary Annexure to the Protocol on Trade of 1996. International Standard Setting Bodies (ISSBs) facilitate the effective application of the main elements of the relevant SPS agreements, especially harmonization and equivalence by establishing scientifically justified standards on which members may base their SPS measures. The relevant ISSB’s in terms of SPS measures are the OIE, IPPC and Codex Alimentarius. SPS measures have the potential to become or be used as non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs). The SADC Protocol on Trade 1996 stipulates that policies and measures are to be implemented by members to eliminate existing forms of NTBs. Additionally members may not enforce new NTBs affecting or related to intra-SADC trade. The most relevant South African legislation in the context of SPS measures and this study is as follows: Agricultural Pests Act 36 of 1983, the Agricultural Products Act 119 of 1990; the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act 36 of 1947, the Liquor Products Act 60 of 1989, Meat Safety Act 40 of 2000, Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972, Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965 and National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act 5 of 2008. The purpose of this study is to establish to what extent the South African legal framework complies with its obligations in terms of the SADC SPS Annexure to the Protocol on Trade / LLM (Import and Export Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are measures aimed at the protection of human, animal and plant life and health within specified territories from the risks associated with the introduction and spread of pests and diseases through trade. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) developed an agreement on the application of SPS measures. South Africa is a member of both the WTO and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In SADC, SPS measures are provided for in the SADC Sanitary and Phytosanitary Annexure to the Protocol on Trade of 1996. International Standard Setting Bodies (ISSBs) facilitate the effective application of the main elements of the relevant SPS agreements, especially harmonization and equivalence by establishing scientifically justified standards on which members may base their SPS measures. The relevant ISSB’s in terms of SPS measures are the OIE, IPPC and Codex Alimentarius. SPS measures have the potential to become or be used as non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs). The SADC Protocol on Trade 1996 stipulates that policies and measures are to be implemented by members to eliminate existing forms of NTBs. Additionally members may not enforce new NTBs affecting or related to intra-SADC trade. The most relevant South African legislation in the context of SPS measures and this study is as follows: Agricultural Pests Act 36 of 1983, the Agricultural Products Act 119 of 1990; the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act 36 of 1947, the Liquor Products Act 60 of 1989, Meat Safety Act 40 of 2000, Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972, Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965 and National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act 5 of 2008. The purpose of this study is to establish to what extent the South African legal framework complies with its obligations in terms of the SADC SPS Annexure to the Protocol on Trade / LLM (Import and Export Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The WTO, tourism and small states: finding policy space to develop This study examines whether the General Agreement on Services (GATS) provides the necessary policy space for small states to pursue their development agendas. Small states in this study are defined in power terms. But the study also focuses on small states in a property sense--those with few diversification options, making the services sector potentially an important avenue for economic growth and diversification. The study seeks to examine critically the parameters that GATS places on policy-making of small states--whether governments are limited to providing a competitive business environment, or if they retain sufficient policy space to shape the development of a sector. The study also looks at the interplay between international and domestic factors in development of policy. The tourism industries of Oman and Qatar provide case studies to examine these issues. Tourism has the potential to contribute to the economies of small states generally, but debate exists as to whether GATS leaves small states with sufficient space to influence the direction of this sector. The similarities between Oman and Qatar in both power and property terms allow for a comparative examination of whether small states can find meaningful policy space. In addition, their domestic dynamics provide insight into the interplay between domestic and international pressures on policy choices. The experiences of Oman and Qatar suggest that there remains some policy space for states to develop their tourism industries in a manner compatible with local aspirations. Governments thus have some scope to direct the shape of the tourism sector beyond merely providing a competitive business environment. But policy direction is influenced by capacity, past experiences and existing norms, and these differences can result in varying outcomes. Additionally, small states must decide their priorities in on-going WTO negotiations in order to maintain existing policy space.

No description available.

Master of Arts / Department of Economics / Peri da Silva / Rose (2004) reports that GATT/WTO membership produces no positive effects on international trade. This is a remarkable determination given the widespread belief in academic and policy circles that the WTO successfully promotes trade flows by reducing barriers to international trade. Empirical literature measuring the GATT/WTO trade effects has produced notably diverse results since Rose's (2004) paper. This report introduces the history of GATT/WTO and describes the GATT/WTO’s aim to promote trade using multilateral rounds of trade negotiations. It confirms that the efforts toward trade liberalization made by the GATT/WTO are partially achieved by tariff reductions and other trade obligations. In discussing the literature related to Rose’s surprising results, we argue that the gravity model employed by Rose (2004) is not theoretically sound since it omits multilateral resistance terms and fails to capture unobserved bilateral heterogeneity. However, we find that even an accurate specification gravity model that controls multilateral resistance, unobserved bilateral heterogeneity, and individual regional trade agreement effect cannot fully account for Rose’s GATT/WTO trade effects findings. The present report suggests that a new approach, specifically the nonparametric method used by Chang and Lee (2011), may offer sound guidance for future research attempting to understand Rose’s mysterious findings.

The aim of this study is to analyze the current readiness of Russia to become a member of WTO and to analyze how this membership will impact the russian economy generally.That is why this work set out the following tasks: In the first chapter - to explore the specific activities of the World Trade Organization, to determine its objectives and functions. In the second chapter - to explore the various stages of the Russia's accession to WTO and define the emerging results and complications. In the third chapter, I consider it necessary to examine the current status of Russia in international trade. Some attention will be paid to attitude of Russia's largest trading partners to accession. In the fourth chapter - to explore how Russian accession to the WTO will impact its main sectors and analyze the impact of economic liberalization on the overall economic situation in the country. In the final chapter - to explore possible ways of reforming the economy

The graduation thesis surveys present treatment of intellectual property rights and their protection in WTO. The thesis briefly characterizes WTO and describes the development of protection of intellectual property before the TRIPS agreement was concluded. Furthermore, the thesis focuses on the TRIPS agreement in detail because it is the most important instrument of protection of intellectual property rights at present. The thesis critically evaluates the regulation of particular legal institutes in TRIPS agreement and describes disputes of WTO member states in the relevant field. At the end of the thesis there is an outline of means for execution of the rights, present problems in the particular field and possible future development of the regulation.

Trade policy and protectionism. Previous crises experiences, Great Depression. Protectionism and current crisis, measures taken by important states. WTO and current crisis, influence of the crisis on the Quatar Round.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree M.Com. Development Theory and Policy in the faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwayersrand, 2013 / This paper undertook qualitative research to determine the trade policy space for South Africa to implement its industrial policy action plan (Ipap). The South African economy was transformed from import substitution in the 1970s to export-orientation in the 1980s. The apartheid regime failed to develop coherent policies for industrialisation. In the 1990s, there was a deliberate government decision as articulated in the GEAR policy to liberalise the economy and with regard to trade this is associated with accession to the World Trade Organisation and commitments made thereof. In 2007, the country adopted the national industrial policy framework to guide its reindustrialisation efforts and subsequently various iterations of the Ipap. Therefore, given that a lot of policy space was lost when the country joined as the WTO as a developed country, the question is “does South Africa have enough policy space to use some of the instruments that were used by successful Asian countries to industrialise”. The WTO made some of these instruments illegal. To analyse policy space, the paper looked at the effect of WTO Agreements on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM), on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS), on Government Procurement (GPA), as well as the tariff commitments. The study found that although SCM has made certain subsidies illegal, other kinds of subsidies are allowed such as those for economic development in disadvantaged regions and for rural development. Therefore, strategy and packaging of these subsidies for development is important. TRIMS was found to have significantly reduced policy space by making a number of instruments on foreign direct investment illegal such as enforcing local content as well as export requirements. Since South Africa is not party to the GPA, it retains policy space to use government procurement to promote industrialisation in the country. In terms of tariffs commitment, the study found that there is no “water” between applied and bound rate for a number of critical sectors such as textile, clothing, footwear, and furniture. However, other important sectors such as automotive and automotive components and white goods still have “water” to increase tariff in future as necessary. Therefore, the study concluded that there is policy space to implement industrial policy in South Africa but this requires strategy and closer look at the WTO rules for flexibility.