The WTO Agreement on Agriculture A Commentary

Author: Joseph McMahon
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199275687
Published In: November 2006
Format: Hardback , 360 pages
Jurisdiction: International ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

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The first legal commentary on the WTO Agriculture Agreement, analysing the obligations imposed by the agreement on WTO members and their development under the case-law of the WTO
Provides a history of international trade regulation of agriculture before the WTO, and the emergence of a need for a comprehensive agriculture agreement
Analyses the WTO's accommodation of developing countries, and the drive to settle a fairer agreement on farm subsidies currently dominating discussions about the WTO's future

The WTO Agreement on Agriculture subjected agriculture to a set of international rules for the first time in the history of international trade. Ever since its negotiation the Agreement has been at the forefront of the controversy surrounding the purpose and impact of the WTO itself. This commentary provides a full legal analysis of the obligations imposed by the agreement on WTO members, and of the complex history of the Agreement's negotiation and revision and the controversy surrounding its effect on international development.

The commentary is structured around the three areas of reform initiated by the Agreement - market access, domestic support and export competition. The book provides an in-depth examination of the substantive provisions and the disputes that have arisen in each of these three areas. In addition the book situates these provisions against their background in pre-WTO regulation. It analyses the operation of the 'Peace clause' and assesses the impact of the clause's expiration. The commentary concludes by assessing the Agreement's accommodation of and impact on developing economies, and examining the process of reforming domestic farm subsidies, one of the dominant issues currently confronting the WTO.

Readership: Scholars and advanced students in international trade law and agricultural law. Legal practitioners in international trade law. Academics in development studies and development economics

Chapter 1 - The Preamble
1. Overview of the history of GATT and Agriculture
2. Overview of the Uruguay Round Negotiations
3. Objectives of the Agreement
4. Continuing the Reform Process
Chapter 2 - Market Access
1. Market Access and the GATT
2. The Uruguay Round Negotiations
3. The Agreement on Agriculture
4. A Comment
Chapter 3 - Domestic Support
1. The Uruguay Round Negotiations
2. The Agreement on Agriculture
3. A Comment
Chapter 4 - Export Competition
1. Export Subsidies and the GATT
2. The Uruguay Round Negotiations
3. The Agreement on Agriculture
4. A Comment
Chapter 5 - The Peace Clause
1. The Uruguay Round Negotiations
2. The Agreement on Agriculture
3. A Comment
Chapter 6 - Special and Differential Treatment
1. Developing Countries and the GATT
2. The Uruguay Round Negotiations
3. The Agreement on Agriculture
4. A Comment
Chapter 7 - Continuing the Reform Process
1. Introduction
2. Market Access
3. Domestic Support
4. Export Competition
5. Special and Differential Treatment
6. Non-Trade Concerns
7. Phase 2
8. A Comment
Chapter 8 - The Doha Development Agenda
1. The Doha Declaration
2. The Cancun Ministerial
3. The Hong Kong Ministerial Conference
Appendices
Bibliography