International Trade Law – The GATT/WTO system and environmental standards

Social Standards in International Trade

Public Concerns, Environmental Standards and Agricultural Trade

Synopsis There is great concern among the public in general, and consumers in particular, about the quality of the environment in relation to agriculture. Such concerns focus on issues such as pollution from agriculture, the quality of landscapes, animal welfare and food safety. As a result, many countries have developed a range of standards, codes of good practice and other policy measures. Th...

Development of the concept of “Environmental Damage” in International environmental law

Evolution of the concept of “environmental damages” is one of the aspects of development in international environmental law. In fact, after increasing global environmental problems and lack of efficiency in international environmental law to prevent the damage, unifying the concept of “environmental damage” in the law is being considered as a solution for this matter. Moreover, development of i...

LABOUR AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS: the “Lemons Problem” in International Trade Policy

Environmental and labour standards have become an important international trade issue. This article examines and ranks alternative trade policy responses available to an importing country with concerns over such standards. While a full import embargo may sometimes be preferable to allowing unrestricted access to unlabeled non-conforming imports, a partial embargo that allows imports which demon...

International standards in mitigating trade risks.

This paper describes the role of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), as a science-based and democratic standard-setting organisation that provides guidance on preventing the spread of animal diseases, including zoonoses, in international trade. The World Trade Organization is identified as the international institution with the legal power to encourage adherence to international sta...