Publication: An analysis of the difference and dispute between the European Union and the United States on genetically modified organisms (.GMOs): the case for the WTO
Abstract
Avrupa Birligi ve Amerika Birlesik Devletleri arasındaki ticari iliskiler, taraflardan biri tarafından olusturulan ticari engeller sebebiyle, sürekli anlasmazlıkların yasandıgı bir iliski olarak süregelmistir. Güncel ve önemli bir anlasmazlık da tarımsal biyoteknoloji ve gıdalardaki genetigi degistirilmis organizmalar konusu üzerinedir. ABD, Avrupa Birligi’nin, genetigi degistirilmis organizmaların onaylanması ve ithalatı konusunda moratoryum uygulayarak, ticareti gereksiz yere engelledigini iddia etmektedir. 1998 yılından 2004 yılına kadar Avrupa Birligi tarafından sürdürülen moratoryum, Amerika’nın ekonomik kayıplar vermesine ve Avrupa Birligi’ne gıda ihracatında azalmalara sebep vermistir. Dolayısıyla, Amerika; Kanada ve Arjantin’le birlikte, konuyu 2003 Mayıs ayında Dünya Ticaret Örgütü’nün Anlasmazlık Çözümleme Organı’na tasımıstır. Bu çalısmanın asıl amacı, Avrupa Birligi ve Amerika arasında genetigi degistirilmis organizmaların ticareti konusundaki anlasmazlıklarının altında yatan sebeplerini bulup, çözümler sunabilmektir. Bu amaçla, tarafların uyguladıgı farklı düzenleyici çerçeveler, aynı teknolojiye farklı bakıs açılarını yansıtması açısından, bir araç olarak sunulmustur. Ayrıca, dünyada genetigi degistirilmis gıdaların düzenlenmesine yönelik genel egilimler ve anlasmazlıkla ilgili hükümler içeren uluslararası anlasmalar ele alınmıstır. Çalısmanın sonucunda, her iki tarafın da genetigi degistirilmis gıdaların düzenlenmesine yaklasımı, eksik bulunmustur. Dolayısıyla her iki yaklasımın da, genetigi degistirilmis organizmaların uluslararası ticaretinin kolaylastırılması için düzeltilmesine ihtiyaç vardır. Çalısmanın diger bir sonucu da, Dünya Ticaret Örgütü’nün, yerel risk-yönetimi düzenlemelerinin uygunlugunu yargılama konusunda yeterli ve genis-tabanlı bir kurum olmadıgı ve genetigi degistirilmis organizmaların Dünya Ticaret Örgütü’nden daha kapsamlı, farklı bir kurum tarafından ele alınması gerekliligidir.
The commercial relations between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have been characterized by constant disputes concerning the creation of trade barriers by one of the parties. One recent and important controversy concerns the agricultural biotechnology and the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) that are included in food products. The US claims that the EU is unnecessarily creating barriers to trade by applying a moratorium on the approval and import of GMOs. The moratorium, which was in place from 1998 to 2004, has already caused some economic losses to the US and decline in exports of food products to the EU. Therefore the US, together with Canada and Argentina, took the issue to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body , on May, 2003. The main aim of this study is trying to find the reasons of and some solutions to the transatlantic trade dispute on GMOs. Therefore, a description of the different regulatory frameworks for GMOs is included as a tool for understanding the different institutional perspectives to the same technology. Also the general regulatory patterns of GMOs in the world and the international agreements that may have a bearing on the dispute are handled. This study concludes that both parties’ regulatory approach to GMOs are flawed. Therefore, both approaches must be amended to facilitate international trade of GMOs. Another conclusion is that the WTO is not a broad-based institution to adjudicate on the appropriateness of domestic risk-management regulations and GM crops requires an international regulatory approach that is broader in remit than the WTO.
The commercial relations between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have been characterized by constant disputes concerning the creation of trade barriers by one of the parties. One recent and important controversy concerns the agricultural biotechnology and the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) that are included in food products. The US claims that the EU is unnecessarily creating barriers to trade by applying a moratorium on the approval and import of GMOs. The moratorium, which was in place from 1998 to 2004, has already caused some economic losses to the US and decline in exports of food products to the EU. Therefore the US, together with Canada and Argentina, took the issue to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body , on May, 2003. The main aim of this study is trying to find the reasons of and some solutions to the transatlantic trade dispute on GMOs. Therefore, a description of the different regulatory frameworks for GMOs is included as a tool for understanding the different institutional perspectives to the same technology. Also the general regulatory patterns of GMOs in the world and the international agreements that may have a bearing on the dispute are handled. This study concludes that both parties’ regulatory approach to GMOs are flawed. Therefore, both approaches must be amended to facilitate international trade of GMOs. Another conclusion is that the WTO is not a broad-based institution to adjudicate on the appropriateness of domestic risk-management regulations and GM crops requires an international regulatory approach that is broader in remit than the WTO.