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NewProtectionistTendenciesandInclinationtoBilateralismandRegionalism...
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adifficultsituation,thetradereformswillbemuchmoreadvantageousforthat
governmentthantheactionsintheenvironmentalprotectionarea(Bhagwati
andSrinivisan,1996).Thatiswhythepressuregroupsconnectedwiththe
environmentalprotectionareagainsttheinternationaltradeliberalization.
TheactionsofthosegroupsonWTOforum,andtheirregionalactivity
againstthereductionoftradebarriers,havethreereasons:1)freetrademeans
thegrowthofproductionandincome,which,inturn,leadstothedegradation
oftheenvironment,2)freetradeandgrowinginvestmentscausethegrowth
oftransportactivityandencouragecompaniestotransfertheproductiontothe
countrieswithlowecologicalstandards,whichfromtheenvironmentalpointof
viewiswrong,3)freedomforforeigninvestmentsdiscouragelocalcompanies
todevelopthetechnologiesfavorableforenvironmentalprotection(Anderson,
1997).Thequestionofreachingsomeformofanagreementbetweentheproblems
ofinternationaltradeliberalizationandtheprotectionofnaturalenvironment
especiallyinthecontextofthesustainabledevelopmentbecameanimportant
taskfortheWTO.TheprogramofWTOactivitiesincluded:
-therelationsbetweenthemeansusedintradeandinenvironmentalprotection;
-therelationsbetweenmultilateraltradesystemsandtheenvironmental
protectionmeans,appliedforprotectionoftheenvironment;
-theinfluenceoftheeffectsofenvironmentalprotectionontheliberalization
ofinternationaltrade;
-therelationsbetweenthemechanismsleadingtocompromiseswithinWTO
andwithinthemultilateralagreementsonenvironmentalprotection(Martin
andWinters,1995).
Reachingtheeffectiveagreementsontheinternationaltradeliberalization
andonenvironmentalprotectioninthelightofsustainabledevelopmentis
consideredtobebothverydifficultandverydelicatequestion.Theproblems
ofenvironmentalprotectionhavebecomemostimportantissues.Therefore,it
isevidentthattheinternationalmarkethastotakethemintoaccount.Inthe
contextofthesustainabledevelopment,thekeyproblemistomakeaproper
choice:istheintroductionofrestrictionsoninternationaltradethebestsolution,
orwillthebenefitsfromenvironmentalprotection(asappliedbyamultilateral
tradesystem)behigherthanthecosts?
Itisnecessaryalsotoemphasisthatiftherulesofinternationaltradeare
clear-andiftheyareperceivedtobesupportiveofimportantenvironmental
values-thentheirlegitimacywillbemuchgreater.Overthelongterm,public
supportfortheWTOdependsonaperceptionthatitisbalancedandfair(Esty,
1998).Effortstoaddresstheissuesidentifiedabovecouldgreatlyenhancethe
WTO’sreputation.Competingtradeandenvironmentalprinciplescouldbest
bebalancedthroughcreationofaninterpretivestatementthatfocusesonhow
the“exceptions”spelledoutinArticleXXwouldbeimplemented,ratherthan
