A Study On The Legal Problem Of Trade And Environment Under WTO System

With the development of the global economic integration, the economic and trade dealings among nations are on the increase, and free trade has become the essential demand of the development of the human society. The growth of international trade promotes the human progress, improves the people's living standard. While humans feel proud of the brilliant achievements created by ourselves, we have to face the environmental deterioration resulting from the increasing international trade at the cost of environment, which makes people come to realize the coexisting and conflicting relationship between trade and environment. Therefore, the relationship between trade and environment has become the focus of attention of the international community since the 1990s. " Sustainable development " is the brand-new notion put forward during the course of people's ever further understanding of the relationship between trade and environment, has been gradually accepted and recognized by the international community, and become the guideline of settling and harmonizing the problems concerning trade and environment.The global economic integration, the globalization of environmental issue and requirementsof the goal of sustainable development make the biggest trade organization in the world------World Trade Organization pay more attention to the environmental issue, clearly regard sustainable development and environmental protection as one of its aims, and involve the clauses on environmental protection and trade into every agreement of WTO, providing legal basis for reconciling the relationship between trade and environment, and contributing to maintaining and perfecting the global environment, promoting the sustainable development of international trade. However, because environmental protection is still in the developing stage in the WTO system, as well as the potential conflicts with the International Multilateral Environmental Agreement, its stipulations on trade and environmental protection are inevitably somewhat imperfect. Perfecting the present regulations will be propitious to the harmony of trade and environment.We believe that it's the common wish of all the people in the world to protect the global environment, carry out sustainable development, and create beautiful homes. The developing countries, as an integrated part of the international community, are confronted with the urgent task of how to realize the sustainable development. China, as the biggest developing country, should seize the opportunities to meet the challenges on trade and environment brought about by our entry into WTO, take active measures, and make efforts to realize the harmony of economic growth, environmental protection and social full-scale progress.