The GATS in the Doha Round : A European Perspective

This chapter analyzes the legal and policy implications of the Doha Round, focusing on international trade in services. After an explanation of a Round and why it was necessary to have a new Round of international trade talks, the chapter analyzes the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). It then provides a European perspective to the GATS. The chapter illustrates the European Community’s position in the framework of the Doha Development Agenda in general, with particular attention to services trade. The Lisbon Treaty’s provisions relating to international trade in services are analyzed. It is argued that with the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, European Union (EU) national parliaments will no longer ratify trade agreements because such agreements will no longer qualify as mixed agreements by virtue of giving exclusive competence to the EU in its common commercial policy. All these institutional reforms and their implications for EU Member States are analyzed. Thoughts on alternative ways to move forward in the multilateral trading system are presented for a desired conclusion of the Doha talks