The WTO Agreement on Agriculture: A Commentary

by Joseph McMahon

Overview

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 analyzes 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199275687
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/05/2007
Series:	Oxford Commentaries on GATT/WTO Agreements
Pages:	358
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Professor Joseph McMahon holds the Chair in Commercial Law in the School of Law at University College Dublin.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - The Preamble1. Overview of the history of GATT and Agriculture2. Overview of the Uruguay Round Negotiations3. Objectives of the Agreement4. Continuing the Reform ProcessChapter 2 - Market Access1. Market Access and the GATT2. The Uruguay Round Negotiations3. The Agreement on Agriculture4. A CommentChapter 3 - Domestic Support1. The Uruguay Round Negotiations2. The Agreement on Agriculture3. A CommentChapter 4 - Export Competition1. Export Subsidies and the GATT2. The Uruguay Round Negotiations3. The Agreement on Agriculture4. A CommentChapter 5 - The Peace Clause1. The Uruguay Round Negotiations2. The Agreement on Agriculture3. A CommentChapter 6 - Special and Differential Treatment1. Developing Countries and the GATT2. The Uruguay Round Negotiations3. The Agreement on Agriculture4. A CommentChapter 7 - Continuing the Reform Process1. Introduction2. Market Access3. Domestic Support4. Export Competition5. Special and Differential Treatment6. Non-Trade Concerns7. Phase 28. A CommentChapter 8 - The Doha Development Agenda1. The Doha Declaration2. The Cancun Ministerial3. The Hong Kong Ministerial ConferenceAppendicesBibliography