WTO Law and the Individual:
Making Trade Law Work for You
Prof. Dr. Krista Nadakavukaren Schefer
Kaliningrad, Annual Forum on WTO Law
25 March 2015
Marrakesh Agreement,
Preamble
“The Parties to this Agreement,
Recognizing that their relations in the
field of trade and economic endeavour
should be conducted with a view to
raising standards of living, ….”
BACKGROUND FACTS
WTO Members
Russians’ Relationship
with WTO
“In the medium term, we find that virtually all
households gain from Russian WTO access,
with 99.9 percent of the estimated gains falling
within a range between 2 and 25 percent
increases in household income. … Despite
the estimated gains for virtually all
households in the medium term, many
households may lose in the short term due
to the costs of transition.”
WB Policy Research Working Paper 3473, January 2005
HOW CAN THE INDIVIDUAL BE
AFFECTED BY WTO LAW?
Indirect rights of traders
Substantive Rights
 Intellectual property protection
 Non-discriminatory treatment in service supply
Procedural Rights
- Transparency of laws and regulations
- Administrative or judicial review of governmental
action
Direct rights of traders
Preshipment Inspection Agreement, Art. 4
Grievance Panel (Independent Entity) can be
established if exporter is unsatisfied with
decision of an inspection.
- (c) an exporter … wishing to raise a dispute
shall contact the independent entity referred to
in subparagraph (a) and request the formation
of a panel.“
- (h) the decision of the panel shall be binding
upon the preshipment inspection entity …
- This possibility has as never been used
Dispute settlement
Trade Remedies
Sanctions on a losing Party can harm trade
opportunities of that Member’s individual
businesses
- Suspension of intellectual property
protections
- Increased tariffs
HOW CAN THE INDIVIDUAL
AFFECT WTO LAW?
Dispute Settlement
1. Getting a case to the WTO
2. Making a complaint in national courts on the
basis of WTO law
3. Participating in a case at the WTO
4. Influencing the Impact of WTO Law
1. Getting a case to the WTO
(“espousal”)
Your
Government
Your
case
(3) WTO Claim
at WTO
Violating
Government
2. Making a complaint in national
courts on the basis of WTO law
(“direct effect”)
Your
Government
Your
case
Russia & Direct Effect?
«“Общепризнанные принципы и нормы
международного права и международные
договоры Российской Федерации являются
составной частью ее правовой системы.
Если международным договором
Российской Федерации установлены иные
правила, чем предусмотренные законом,
то применяются правила международного
договора.”»
3. Participating in a case at the
WTO (the “amicus curiae”)
Your
Government
Your
case
(1b) WTO Claim
at WTO
Violating
Government
4. Influencing the Impact of WTO
Law
(1) WTO Claim
at WTO
Government
Violating
Government
(Yours)
Your
interest
Rule-Making (necessary)
Government
WTO Negotiations
Individual
Rule-Making (optimal)
Information
Concerns
Government
Individual
WTO
Negotiations
THANK YOU – QUESTIONS?
[email protected]