Bridging the Gap in the Doha Talks: a Look at Services Trade

Abstract

Following the suspension of the World Trade Organization (WTO) multilateral trade negotiations inJuly 2006 – and its subsequent resumption in February 2007 - by WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, the worldtrading system must now find ways and means to integrate developing countries in the world trading system.Failing that could be perceived as a danger to the world order. This paper analyzes the legal and policyimplications of the current Doha Round for the two main developed WTO Members, i.e., the United States and theEuropean Community, and the most relevant developing countries of the WTO, such as India, Brazil, and China.The specific focus of attention will be mainly on services trade. Thoughts on alternative ways to move forward inthe multilateral trading system are presented