Services as Key for the Conclusion of the Doha Round
Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 301-321, 2008
25 Pages Posted: 29 Oct 2008 Last revised: 11 Dec 2008
Date Written: October 28, 2008
Abstract
Th is article aims to stress the importance of services negotiations for the conclusion of the Doha Round. It is argued in the article that trade in services is of high importance for the economies of both developed and developing countries, and that there remains substantial scope for many World Trade Organization (WTO) countries to make further commitments towards greater liberalization within the services sectors and within all modes of supply provided in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). After an explanation of the notion of trade in services, the article analyzes the GATS, the progressive liberalization of trade in services in the framework of the Doha Round, the request/offer method of negotiations in services trade viewed from the perspective of the European Communities, and the July 2008 WTO Mini-Ministerial Conference in relation to services.
Keywords: GATS, services trade, Doha Round, request/offer, EC
JEL Classification: K33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation