International Trade in Services and Domestic Regulations

Panagiotis Delimatsis is Senior Research Fellow at the World Trade Institute, University of Berne, Switzerland. Previously he has worked at the WTO Appellate Body secretariat, UNCTAD, and practised law in Greece.

• I. The Multilateral Legal Framework Governing Trade in Services ; A. The Uruguay Round: a rules-based system for world trade ; B. The position of services in world trade ; C. Creating the GATS ; D. The position of the GATS in the GATT/WTO structure - The boundaries between the GATT and the GATS ; E. The GATS at a glance ; F. Dancing in the dark? The GATS' tentative steps towards ; II. Barriers to Trade in Services ; A. Introductory remarks ; B. Usual barriers to trade ; C. Protection in services industries ; D. Regulations as impediments to trade in services ; E. Typologies of barriers to trade in services ; F. Possible gains from dismantling barriers to trade in services ; III. Domestic Regulation and the GATS ; A. Introductory remarks ; B. Snipping at the Gordian Knot of domestic regulation ; C. The obligation contained in Article VI GATS ; D. The Relationship of Article VI with Atyicles XVI, XVII, and XVIII - A Conciliatory Approach ; E. To regulate, or not to regulate? That is the question-But not the only one: A primer on the tools for evaluating the domestic regulatory regime ; F. Put the blame on the GATS: liberalization, deregulation, regulatory reform...or something else? ; IV. Creating a Horizontal Necessity Test for Services ; A. Introductory remarks ; B. The establishment of the WPPS and the development of disciplines on domestic regulation with respect to accountancy services ; C. The Establishment of the WPDR ; D. Towards the development of a horizontal necessity test applicable to all service sectors ; E. The Prospects of, and some essential elements for, a horizontal necessity test ; V. Transparency and Domestic Regulations in Services ; A. Introductory remarks ; B. Transparency as a general principle of WTO law ; C. The principle of transparency in the GATS ; D. The issue of transparency as discussed in the WPDR ; E. Horizontally applicable transparency disciplines and the linkage with necessity ; Concluding Remarks: Challenges for the Future ; IC BIBLIOGRAPHY

This new book is well-researched, highly informative and, in addition to carefully explaining the regulatory provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), dares to express firm opinions on the controversial regulatory issues currently under negotiation in the WTO's Working Party on Domestic Regulation (WPDR)...The book will undoubtedly become a standard reference for both students and practitioners wishing to have a solid understanding of the complex issues involved.