Original scientific paper
Transatlantic Trade Disputes on Health, Environmental and Animal Welfare Standards: Background to Regulatory Divergence and Possible Solutions
Tamara Perišin
Abstract
The paper analyses the pattern and background of transatlantic
trade disputes where the US and Canada have challenged EU
health, environmental or animal welfare. It shows that, in principle,
the EU maintains stricter (or arguably higher) standards in these areas,
partly due to some historic events or societal characteristics which
make Europeans more risk averse, and partly due to the nature of
the EU supranational regulatory process. The paper examines whether
and how the currently negotiated agreements, CETA and TTIP, could
address this regulatory divergence. It argues that the regulatory differences
which reflect the different values of two constituencies are
worth maintaining so as to foster pluralism, diversity, experimentation
and democracy. In contrast, regulatory differences caused by the
mere fact that regulators work independently of one another should be
eliminated so as to achieve the benefits of greater trade liberalisation.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
131646
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2014.
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