International Standards and the WTO

Steve Charnovitz, George Washington University - Law School

10/09/2009
(Original Publish Date: 3/29/2005)

This study provides an overview of how the World Trade Organization rules relate to international standards, that is, standards propounded by some international entity. The topic of standards is a cross-cutting issue in the WTO because rules regarding international standards appear in several of the covered WTO agreements. The paper contains several parts. Part I of the paper explores the meaning of the term international standard and adopts a broad definition for analytical purposes. Part II introduces a typology for international standards. Part III discusses why international standards are important to economic development. Part IV examines some of the key WTO provisions regarding international standards. Part V looks at how WTO intergovernmental committees and bodies have implemented these provisions during the first several years of the WTO. Part VI describes some of the key standard-setting organizations that directly affect the WTO.