See The WTO's Coordination Of Free Trade And Environmental Protection From The Agreement On Technical Barriers To Trade

The conflict between trade and the environment began in the 1970 s.As a representative organization to promote trade freedom,the WTO has inescapable responsibilities and special advantages in dealing with this issue.The technical measures adjusted by the TBT Agreement have become the most frequently reported trade barriers in recent years,and the proportion of environmental-related measures is very large.Take the notification of technical requirements of WTO member states as an example,in 2014,about one-fourth of them are environment-related,and in 2003 this data is only one-tenth.Through the analysis of terms in agreements,case studies,and doctrines comparison,this paper will analyze the situation of the TBT agreement in the WTO system to harmonize trade and environmental issues,and summarize the WTO's position and approach to deal with the issue and its future development from the perspective of the TBT agreement.This thesis intends to use the TBT agreement as a starting point.After the introduction of the general situation of environmental and trade issues,the thesis will explore the status of the TBT agreement in the WTO to conclude the basic method for studying the terms of the agreement,which is to explore the universality of the WTO rules and the characteristics of TBT agreement;then determine the scope of the object of adjustment of the TBT Agreement,and at the same time analyze the basic attitudes of the agreement towards environmental protection;and then analyze in detail the measures that the Agreement regulates trade and environmental issues-including the introduction of special international standards,mutual recognition and transparency requirements,as well as the dispute settlement agency's interpretation of some of the core terms of the agreement.Through analysis of various aspects of the TBT Agreement and based on these conclusions,Chapter V revisits the position that should be taken to adjust trade and environmental issues under the WTO framework and the possible adjustment measures that may be adopted in the future.