Biotechnology and the WTO : A Review of Some Selective Issues

Biotechnology and the WTO have increasingly intersected following the growth of biotech trade. The regulatory challenge of biotechnology is a current subject of debate in the WTO. Biotechnology highlights emerging tensions between the effectiveness of the WTO law on biotech issues and the public health and the non-trade issues of biotech trade. Based on legal analysis, this paper reviews the policy issues caused by biotechnology and its implications on the organization and also considers the kind of policy options needed to achieve an appropriate balance between biotech interests and WTO discipline