meas-cd04b4978f82578f.pdf

The document examines the relationship between the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), arguing that WTO negotiations should preserve MEAs as co-equal bodies of law. It suggests that the WTO's focus on 'least trade restrictive' measures may conflict with the core purpose of many MEAs, which is to regulate or restrict trade in hazardous materials or endangered species. To improve compatibility, the text proposes several practical steps, including sustainability assessments of trade rules, the transfer of environmentally sound technologies via the TRIPS Agreement, and increased coordination between national trade and environment officials. Ultimately, it calls for a multilateral process involving government and non-governmental organizations to ensure coherent international economic and environmental law.

• The document suggests that the WTO's current negotiating focus on the MEA-WTO relationship may be unnecessary because recent decisions and reports already support the validity of unilateral trade measures and the use of MEA-specific dispute settlement mechanisms.
• The author warns that applying the WTO's logic of 'least trade restrictive' measures may be counterproductive for MEAs designed to restrict trade in GMOs, chemicals, endangered species, or hazardous waste.
• Several practical measures are proposed to increase mutual support between the WTO and MEAs, including the use of sustainability assessments for trade rules, leveraging the TRIPS Agreement for technology transfer to developing countries, and enhancing communication between dispute settlement mechanisms.
• The document argues that clarifying the relationship between economic and environmental governance requires a multilateral process involving diverse stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations and officials from environment and trade sectors, rather than relying on a single institution.

APA

Stilwell, M., & Tarasofsky, R. (n.d.). meas-cd04b4978f82578f.pdf. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/meas.pdf

Chicago

Stilwell, Matthew, and Richard Tarasofsky. meas-cd04b4978f82578f.pdf. Center for International Environmental Law, n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/meas.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stilwell |first1=Matthew |last2=Tarasofsky |first2=Richard |title=meas-cd04b4978f82578f.pdf |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/meas.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stilwellndmeascd04b4978f82578fpdf, author = {Stilwell, Matthew and Tarasofsky, Richard}, title = {{meas-cd04b4978f82578f.pdf}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/meas.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }