Genetic Engineering and the World Trade System
World Trade Forum

An examination of the challenges to international trade regulation posed by biotechnology.

Daniel Wüger (Edited by), Thomas Cottier (Edited by)

9781107412835, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 January 2013

368 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.49 kg

'… the volume continuously presents very well drafted, knowledgeable and illuminative contributions. Anyone interested in world trade law and its bearing on modern biotechnology regulation will highly profit from reading the articles, which are still largely state of the art.' European Yearbook of International Economic Law

While the WTO agreements do not regulate the use of biotechnology per se, their rules can have a profound impact on the use of the technology for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. This book seeks to identify the challenges to international trade regulation that arise from biotechnology. The contributions examine whether existing international obligations of WTO Members are appropriate to deal with the issues arising for the use of biotechnology and whether there is a need for new international legal instruments, including a potential WTO Agreement on Biotechnology. They combine various perspectives on and topics relating to genetic engineering and trade, including human rights and gender; intellectual property rights; traditional knowledge and access and benefit sharing; food security, trade and agricultural production and food safety; and medical research, cloning and international trade.

Part I. Introduction and Systemic Issues: 1. Introduction Daniel Wüger
2. Genetic engineering, trade and human rights Thomas Cottier
3. Gender dimensions of biotechnology policy and trade Constance Z. Wagner
Part II. Intellectual Property and Gene Technology - Issues at Stake and Possible Options: 4. Biotechnology and patents: global standards, European approaches and national accents Geertrui Van Overwalle
5. Intellectual property rights, biotechnology and development Emmanuel Opoku Awuku
6. Traditional knowledge, biogenetic resources, genetic engineering and intellectual property rights Federico Lenzerini
Part III. Food Security, Trade and Agricultural Production with Genetically Modified Organisms: 7. Biotechnology in the energy sector: some trade and development Simonetta Zarrilli
8. Coexistence and liability: implications for international trade drawn from the Swiss example Anne Petitpierre-Sauvain
9. Food security and agricultural production with genetically modified organisms: a comment Michael Hahn
Part IV. Food Safety, International Trade and Biotechnology: 10. Trade, environment and biotechnology: on coexistence and coherence Laurence Boisson de Chazournes and Makane Moise Mbenge
11. Risk regulation, precaution and trade Franz Xaver Perrez
Part V. Medical Research, Cloning and International Trade: 12. Genetic engineering, free trade and human rights: global standards and local ethics Roger Brownsword
13. The regulation of human genetics by international soft law and international trade Souheil El-Zein.

Subject Areas: International economic & trade law [LBBM]