Strengthening the World Trade Organization – Critical Demands for Imperative Success: Identifying Politically Viable Options for Incremental Reform

The multilateral trade regime and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are a major success story of global governance. In few other domains have states managed to cooperate as successfully in the last 70 years as in global trade affairs. Since the 1990s, the multilateral trade regime – with the WTO at its centre – nonetheless goes through a crisis. The crisis culminated in 2016 with the collapse of the Doha Round. The crisis puts into question the WTO’s ability to effectively and efficiently govern global trade. Stakeholders, moreover, increasingly challenge the legitimacy and accountability of the WTO. The main purpose of the study is to review E15 work to identify weaknesses in the WTO’s institutional setup and related reform proposals. As institutional aspects received comparatively little attention, the study draws also on other academic and policy publications to complement E15 work. The underlying rationale is that the current crisis has various – including institutional – causes. An institutional reform may thus contribute to overcoming the WTO’s current problems. The political climate does not allow for wholesale amendments to the WTO Agreement. The study therefore focuses on incremental reform proposals rather than grand and ideal-type solutions. The study focuses on three main challenges and reform areas

Untersuchungen zur Biologie und den natürlichen Feinden von Deanolis sublimbalis SNELLEN (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) an Mango in Papua New Guinea

Deanolis sublimbalis SNELLEN (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the red banded mango caterpillar (RMBC), is a Southeast Asian insect species. It is now widely distributed throughout this region (India, Burma, Thailand, China, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea) and was recently detected for the first time on mainland Australia, but so far has not been recorded in Pakistan, Nepal, and Malaysia (WATERHOUSE 1998). In Papua New Guinea (PNG) it is nowadays widely distributed throughout the mainland and islands (WATERHOUSE 1998). Although infestation levels of 40 – 50 % were recorded in the Philippines (TIPON 1979), very little is known about the biology of this pest, and there are only few references in the literature, the results differing significantly (WATERHOUSE 1998). Due to the contradictory opinions on the biology published, the following study was undertaken to obtain the basic information required for the development of an appropriate management technique for this pest. In particular, the fundamental data to clarify in the course of this study were: 1. life history and behaviour of RMBC, especially when mango is out of season. 2. search for other host plants of RMBC. 3. search for natural enemies of RMBC.Dt. Titel: Untersuchungen zur Biologie und den natürlichen Feinden von Deanolis sublimbalis SNELLEN (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) an Mango in Papua New Guinea An vier Standorten in der Central Province von Papua Neuguinea wurde D. sublimbalis untersucht. Eier wurden fast immer am Fruchtstiel unter vertrockneten Blütenblättern abgelegt, meist zu 2-4. Eiablage auf die Früchte war sehr selten. Larven wurden in den Früchten von Mangifera indica, M. minor und M. odorata gefunden, nie an den anderen Anacardiaceen Spondias spp. und Anacardium occidentale oder den Myrtaceen Syzygium spp. Im Labor entwickelten sich in Früchten von A. occidentale (Cashew-Baum) nur 5 % der Larven zur Imago. Präpuppen und Puppen wurden nur unter der Rinde der Mangobäume gefunden oder in tiefen Rissen der Rinde. Parasitoide oder Pathogene der Eier oder Larven wurden nicht festgestellt. Die Prädatoren, wie die Weberameise Oecophylla smaragdina (F.), spielten bei D. sublimbalis keine Rolle

Bedeutung und Bekämpfung von Schadinsekten an Winterweizen und Winterraps in Schleswig-Holstein, 1999-2001, und der Trend der Insektizid-Behandlungen von 1999-2004

In the average of 1999 to 2004 winter wheat covered 64 % of the agricultural land of Schleswig-Holstein (331.000 ha), winter oilseed rape 31 %. These two important crops (covering 95 % of the acreage) were attacked in 1999 to 2001 by a) wheat: cereal leaf beetles (Oulema spp.Col., Chrysomelidae) and by cereal aphids (mainly Sitobion avenae and Metopolophium dirhodum; Hom., Aphididae; b) Oilseed rape: by pollen beetles (Meligethes aeneus F.; Col., Nitidulidae) and by the cabbage seed weevil Ceutorrhynchus assimlis (Payk.) (Col., Curculionidae). Studies (with six field experiments per crop, at two sites, 1999 to 2001) were done by the first author in the course of the work on a PhD thesis (Kirch 2006) to clarify the economic importance of these pests, and to look for the validity of the action thresholds published. Additionally, 51 farmers were inquired for their insecticide use, 1999 to 2004.Winterweizen bedeckte 1999-2004 64 % der Ackerfläche Schleswig-Holsteins, Winterraps 31 %. Die wichtigsten Schädlinge an Winterweizen waren die drei Getreideblattlausarten (Hom., Aphididae)(Sitobion avenae und Metopolophium dirhodum, selten Rhopalosiphum padi) und die beiden Oulema-Arten (Getreidehähnchen)(O. melanopus und O. lichenis) (Col., Chrysomelidae). An Winterraps traten im Untersuchungszeitraum auf: Meligethes aeneus (F.) (Rapsglanzkäfer) (Col., Nitidulidae) und Ceutorrhynchus assimilis (Payk.) (Kohlschotenrüßler) (Col., Curculionidae). In beiden Kulturen wurden sechs Feldversuche durchgeführt, mit frühen und späten Insektizid-Applikationen (an je zwei Standorten, mit vierfacher Wiederholung). Bei Weizen waren die Parzellen 50 m² groß, bei Raps 90 m². Bei Winterweizen zeigten beide Schaderreger-Gruppen negative Einflüsse auf den Ertrag, wenn sie nicht bei Bekämpfungsschwellen bekämpft wurden. Sowohl der Getreidehähnchen - als auch der Blattlausbefall waren signifikant negativ mit dem Ertrag korreliert. Die ökonomische Auswertung ergab, dass im Untersuchungszeitraum – bei Beachtung der Bekämpfungsschwellen - die frühe Bekämpfung der Getreidehähnchen-Larven wirtschaftlicher war als die spätere der Getreideblattläuse. Bei Winterraps erwies sich die Bekämpfung des Kohlschotenrüsslers als ertraglich und ökonomisch vorteilhaft, selbst ohne Auftreten von Dasineura brassicae (Winn.), der Kohlschotenmücke. Die Bekämpfung des Rapsglanzkäfers hingegen war nur in einem von sechs Versuchen ertragsmäßig und ökonomisch erfolgreich. Die Probleme bei diesem Schädling sind 1. die zu niedrige Bekämpfungsschwelle und 2. die Resistenz gegenüber synthetischen Pyrethroiden. Wurden in Schleswig-Holstein 1999 75.000 ha Ackerfläche mit Insektiziden behandelt (22.7 % AF), stieg die Fläche bis 2004 auf 220.000 (66.5 % AF). Die Anteile der einzelnen Wirkstoffe haben sich verändert

Evaluation of bio-rational insecticides to control Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) fed on Vicia faba L.

Two botanical pesticides, Neem Azal-T/S (NA) and Quassia amara, one biopesticide, Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. aizawai (Bta) and one combination of Bta + NA were tested against 2nd and 4th instar larvae of the noctuids Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) on field beans under both laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The maximum mortality of 58 and 27 % was obtained in Bta + NA treatments in case of 2nd and 4th instar larvae of H. armigera under laboratory conditions followed by Bta (50 and 14 %) and NA (34 and 7 %) alone treatments. Under greenhouse conditions a mortality of 69 and 26 % was observed in case of Bta + NA treatments in 2nd and 4th instar larvae of H. armigera followed by Bta (67 and 20 %) and NA (56 and 10 %) alone. The mortality of H. armigera larvae was higher under greenhouse conditions. There was a significant difference in the mortality between 2nd and 4th instar larvae both under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The mortality of H. armigera was higher in 2nd instar than in the 4th instar larvae in all treatments. Similar results were obtained in case of S. exigua both under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The results indicate that Bta and NA have the potential to the control of H. armigera and S. exigua either independently or in combination, when used at the right stage of the field populations. The uassia-extracts tested did not show a high efficacy against larvae of H. armigera and S. exigua

The European Union’s new international investment policy: product of Commission entrepreneurship or business lobbying?

The article seeks to explain the emergence of the European Union (EU)’s international investment policy since the 1980s. The article develops two competing explanations. It evaluates whether the Commission acted as policy entrepreneur to consolidate the EU’s role in international investment policy or whether European business lobbied for the ‘brusselization’ of international investment policy making to ensure access to ambitious state-of-the-art international investment agreements. The article traces the EU’s involvement in international investment policy through history. It examines policy-making instances, which shaped the EU’s de facto competences in international investment negotiations and its legal competences under European law. It finds that Commission entrepreneurship promoted the EU’s involvement in international investment negotiations and ultimately ensured due to the procedural particularities of the Convention on the Future of Europe the extension of the EU’s legal competences. European business and the Member States did not promote the emergence of the EU’s international investment policy

While a global trade war is looming, the UK faces an anarchic world economy

The recent surge in US protectionism constitutes a serious challenge to the global trade regime. The EU and China are likely to retaliate against American tariffs of 25 on steel imports and 10 on imported aluminium. The implications of the looming global trade war for Brexit Britain are severe, warns Robert Basedow (LSE)

TTIP is not the threat to European democracy that it is portrayed as by its opponents

On 10 June, MEPs voted to suspend a debate on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). As Robert Basedow writes, one of the criticisms of TTIP that has been raised is the notion that it could undermine European and American democracy by inhibiting the ability of governments to regulate in the public interest. He argues that while concerns over the degree of regulatory cooperation implied by TTIP are understandable, the envisaged provisions are unlikely to pose a substantial threat to national democracy or the ability of governments to pursue effective public policy-making

Galleria mellonella (L.) (Pyralidae) und Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Noctuidae): Wirkungsunterschiede zwischen XenTari® (Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai), NeemAzal T/S® und ihren Kombinationen

Both, G. mellonella and S. exigua, are most important pests in tropical countries. G. mellonella has five to six generations per year (Abid et al. 1997; Ali 1996), there, and feeding in bee combs they find, besides wax, residues of honey, insect skin and pollen (Hachiro & Knox 2000). Li et al. (1987) have shown the efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai against G. mellonella. It is registered in the EU as Mellonex for its control, but NeemAzal T/S may also be active, and will have some advantages (Leymann et al. 2000, Melathopoulos et al. 2000). Therefore we conducted new studies here, on the results we shall report. S. exigua is an important polyphagous pest of crops in tropical areas (Brown & Dewhurst 1975). By repeated control with synthetic insecticides, especially by illiterate farmers (Armes et al. 1992; Aggarwal et al. 2006a) resistance to a lot of those insecticides has been built up, making plant protection very difficult. Therefore the need is pronounced for microbial and botanical pesticides (Nagarkatti 1982; Rao et al. 1990), which have different modes of action than synthetic insecticides. Aggarwal et al. (2006b) have started to test such ingredients, but the time of observation was too short (3 days), since the effects of Neem products occur later than those of synthetic insecticides (Basedow et al. 2002). So we conducted new, longer lasting experiments (with 5 to 30 days), on which we give a report here. The experiments were conducted during guest stays of the three co-authors (from Mymensingh, Bangladesh, from Nazreth, Ethiopia, and from Khartoum, Sudan) at the Experimental Station of the Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology at Giessen Univerity.Im Labor wurden die Larven mit trockenem Futter versorgt, das vorher für 20 Sek. in die Testlösung getaucht war. Die Testlösungen, auch in der Kontrolle, wurden mit dem anionischen Detergens Triton X 100 versetzt (10%, davon 0.1 ml). XenTari wurde mit 0.5, 1 und 2 mg/l getestet, NeemAzal mit 2, 4 und 8 mg/l. Bei G. mellonella war die höchste korrigierte Mortalität bei XenTari nach 4 Wochen 77%, bei NeemAzal T/S 100%. So wird letzteres empfohlen. Bei Spodoptera exigua im zweiten Larvenstadium bewirkte XenTari nach 3 Wochen eine maximale Wirkung von 95.6%, während NeemAzal T/S bereits nach 7 Tagen 100% erreichte. Im vierten Larvenstadium erreichte NeemAzal TS eine Mortalität von 46%. Wurden aber beide Präparate bei halber Dosis nacheinander appliziert, war die Wirkung nach 5 Tagen 73% (XenTari zuerst) bzw. 98.8% (NeemAzal T/S zuerst). Letztere Kombination wird für den Bauwollanbau in den Tropen empfohlen, um durch deren Zwischenschaltung die Resistenzbildung gegenüber synthetischen Insektiziden zu vermindern

Putting the China-EU investment agreement in perspective – and assessing the lessons for the UK

At the end of last year, China and the EU reached agreement on a new investment deal, the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). Robert Basedow examines the content of the agreement and assesses what lessons the UK can draw from the negotiations as it seeks to establish its own post-Brexit relationship with China. In late ... Continue