Is the WTO over? Mega-regional/plurilateral free trade negotiations: perspectives of multilateralism in trade

Csáki, György (2015) Is the WTO over? Mega-regional/plurilateral free trade negotiations: perspectives of multilateralism in trade. Studia Mundi – Economica, 2 (2). pp. 18-35. ISSN 2415-9395

Preview

Text Studia_Mundi_Vol_2_No_2_2_György Csáki.pdf Download (694kB) | Preview

Abstract

Since WWII a very dynamic expansion of international trade has taken place – it is especially true for the period since the early 1980s. Many says that world trade has never been so free as nowadays, and 161 countries are taking place in multilateral trade talks under the umbrella of WTO. Nonetheless, recent two decades of WTO is far from being a success story – none of the WTO trade Rounds have been completed successfully: the Millennium Round had not even started in 1999, and the Doha Round (launched in November 2001) was officially suspended in the year 2006. Under such conditions, it is not surprising at all that m ulti - regional/plurilateral trade negotiations were launched – and the most important of those, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, that is the US – EU free trade negotiations contributed a lot to the relatively successful conclusion of the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference (Bali, December 2013). Now, the great question is, whether which mega - regional free trade negotiations will be concludes and if more, in what order? Will these mega - regional trade deals mean the end of WTO? Will the WTO drive n back to become a multilateral dispute settlement forum?

Actions (login required)

Edit Item