Globalization and the environment : risk assessment and the WTO

The WTO has laid the foundations for a new era of trade relations, and increased trade liberalization has improved global efficiency in production and consumption. The strengthening of trade rules, however, has increased the scope for disputes over interpretations of more extensive and complicated agreements, and has spilt over into environmental and scientific matters.

One of the unforeseen consequences of the WTO agreements has been controversy over risk. This volume explores aspects of risk with special reference to the WTO, where national instruments to reduce risk may conflict with international trade rules.

The book is divided into sections dealing with:

accounting for risk in trade agreements risk and the WTO managing risk in policy making negotiating experience with risk national risks and quarantine standards managing biotechnology.

The chapters offer many perspectives on risk assessment and benefit from a rich diversity of approaches as befits contributions from authors with backgrounds in law, economics, political science and environmental and natural science as well as policy making. Globalization and the Environment is a fascinating book that will draw its readership from these fields.

Author Notes

David Robertson is the John Gough Professor of International Trade in the Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne.
Aynsley Kellow is Professor of Government at the University of Tasmania, Australia.

David RobertsonGary P. SampsonNeil ByronThomas CottierJoost PauwelynMarion WooldridgeMichael J. NunnChristine R. DeaneAynsley KellowKaye Dal BonDavid Wilson and Digby GascoineDonald MaclarenLyall HowardNancy F. MillisDavid RobertsonIan Holland and Aynsley Kellow

List of figures, tables and boxes	p. vii
List of contributors	p. viii
Preface and acknowledgements	p. ix
Glossary and trade dispute cases	p. x
1 Introduction: accounting for risk in trade agreements	p. 1
Part I Risk and the WTO
2 Risk and the WTO	p. 15
3 Risk, the environment and MEAs	p. 27
4 Risk management experience in WTO dispute settlement	p. 41
5 Applying SPS in WTO disputes	p. 63
Part II Managing Risk in Policymaking
6 Risk assessment and risk management in policymaking	p. 81
7 Allowing for risk in setting standards	p. 95
8 Public perceptions, risk communication and biotechnology	p. 106
Part III Negotiating Experience with Risk
9 Accounting for risk in multilateral negotiations	p. 119
10 Reducing chemical risks: OECD and lead	p. 135
Part IV National Risks and Quarantine Standards
11 National risk management and the SPS agreement	p. 155
12 Risk and protection for grains: analysis and quarantine	p. 169
13 A business view of quarantine	p. 182
Part V Managing Biotechnology
14 Government regulations and genetically-modified organisms	p. 191
15 GM foods and global trade	p. 206
Part VI Concluding Summary
16 Trade and risk management: exploring the issues	p. 229
Appendix	p. 249
Index	p. 253

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Table of Contents