Edward Elgar Publishing Globalization and the Environment: Risk Assessment and the WTO

The WTO has laid the foundations for a new era of trade relations, and increased trade liberalization has improved global efficiency in production and consumption. The strengthening of trade rules, however, has increased the scope for disputes over interpretations of more extensive and complicated agreements, and has spilt over into environmental and scientific matters. One of the unforeseen consequences of the WTO agreements has been controversy over risk. This volume explores aspects of risk with special reference to the WTO, where national instruments to reduce risk may conflict with international trade rules. The book is divided into sections dealing with: accounting for risk in trade agreements risk and the WTO managing risk in policy making negotiating experience with risk national risks and quarantine standards managing biotechnology. The chapters offer many perspectives on risk assessment and benefit from a rich diversity of approaches as befits contributions from authors with backgrounds in law, economics, political science and environmental and natural science as well as policy making.Globalization and the Environmentis a fascinating book that will draw its readership from these fields.