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<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>THE
NEXT TRADE WAR? GM PRODUCTS, THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL AND THE WTO<BR>September
2003<BR>The Royal Institute Of International Affairs Sustainable
Development<BR>Programme Briefing Paper No. 8<BR>Duncan Brack, Robert Falkner
and Judith Goll<BR>Complete paper available at:<BR></FONT><A
href="http://www.riia.org/pdf/research/sdp/Next trade war GM CP & WTO Brack et al Sept 03.pdf"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.riia.org/pdf/research/sdp/Next%20trade%20war%20GM%20%20CP%20&%20WTO%20Brack%20et%20al%20Sept%2003.pdf</FONT></A><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" size=2> (ca.550kb, 12 S)</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>On 20 May 2003 the United States initiated a
dispute under the World Trade<BR>Organization (WTO) about the European Unionšs
de facto moratorium on the<BR>approval of new uses of genetically modified (GM)
products. Following the<BR>failure of the consultation stage of the WTOšs
dispute settlement procedure,<BR>a dispute panel was established at the end of
August, signalling the<BR>long-expected opening shots in what may turn out to be
a serious and<BR>long-running trade conflict between the US and the EU.<BR>The
dispute settlement process, if pursued through all its stages, including<BR>the
final Appellate Body ruling, normally takes between twelve and
eighteen<BR>months to complete. Whatever its outcome, it is quite likely that
further<BR>disputes may be initiated, given the rapid evolution of national
regulatory<BR>regimes for GM products, and also the entry into force of the
Cartagena<BR>Protocol, the multilateral environmental agreement regulating trade
in GM<BR>products, on 11 September.<BR>As commercial GM products have only been
deployed since the mid-1990s, there<BR>is still considerable debate and
uncertainty over their impacts on health,<BR>the environment, industrial
structures and market power. Given the<BR>deep-seated cultural differences
towards science, technology and government<BR>regulation between US and EU
consumers, trade disputes centring on GM<BR>products will be particularly
difficult to resolve. This briefing paper aims<BR>to provide the background to
the likelihood of many years of ongoing<BR>argument and dispute.<BR></FONT><A
href="http://www.riia.org/pdf/research/sdp/Next trade war GM CP & WTO Brack et al Sept 03.pdf"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.riia.org/pdf/research/sdp/Next%20trade%20war%20GM%20%20CP%20&%20WTO%20Brack%20et%20al%20Sept%2003.pdf</FONT></A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
size=2>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>"Wir brauchen keine
Bio-Terroristen, wenn wir Gentechniker haben."<BR>Independent Science Panel (<A
href="http://www.indsp.org">www.indsp.org</A>)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>