L’Organisation mondiale du commerce et les accords commerciaux : Enseignements tirés de l’Initiative de déclaration conjointe pour les micro-, petites et moyennes entreprises

The report examines how MSMEs are integrated into regional and multilateral trade frameworks, noting a trend toward more sophisticated but often non-binding 'goodwill' provisions in newer 'next-generation' agreements. It highlights specific areas of support such as trade facilitation, public procurement, and e-commerce, while noting a persistent gap in the explicit integration of gender-specific MSME support.

• There is a growing trend of including MSME-specific provisions in regional trade agreements (RTAs), with 166 out of 312 RTAs reported to the WTO in 2019 containing direct references to SMEs, including micro-enterprises.
• MSME provisions in RTAs are frequently formulated as 'goodwill' clauses rather than strict obligations, often using non-binding language such as 'parties recognize' or 'strive to cooperate,' and are frequently exempt from formal dispute settlement mechanisms.
• Developed economies, particularly the EU, Canada, and Japan, implement the most sophisticated MSME provisions, such as the appointment of dedicated 'SME points of contact' in the EU-Japan agreement or specific considerations for SMEs in investment disputes in the CETA agreement.
• Developing countries tend to prioritize 'derogations' or flexibility measures in RTAs to protect domestic MSMEs from costly obligations, whereas developed countries focus on obligations to provide support to MSMEs.
• The 'Small Business Lens' principle, integrated into Good Regulatory Practices (GRP), allows regulators to measure the potential socio-economic and environmental impact of legislation specifically on MSMEs to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.
• While RTAs increasingly include gender-related provisions and MSME provisions, they rarely overlap; most agreements address gender empowerment or MSME support in separate chapters without explicitly targeting MSMEs owned or managed by women.
• WTO agreements contain fragmented references to MSMEs; for example, the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) requires members to consider the specific needs of SMEs when making advance rulings and to avoid limiting SME participation as authorized operators.
• The CPTPP is cited as a model for MSME support due to its dedicated SME chapter (Chapter 24), which mandates the creation of a website for SME information and establishes an SME Committee to coordinate capacity building and best practices.

APA

G., L. A. G. (2020). L’Organisation mondiale du commerce et les accords commerciaux : Enseignements tirés de l’Initiative de déclaration conjointe pour les micro-, petites et moyennes entreprises. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-12/trade-agreements-wto-fr.pdf

Chicago

G., Loly A. Gaitán. L’Organisation mondiale du commerce et les accords commerciaux : Enseignements tirés de l’Initiative de déclaration conjointe pour les micro-, petites et moyennes entreprises. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-12/trade-agreements-wto-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=G. |first1=Loly A. Gaitán |title=L’Organisation mondiale du commerce et les accords commerciaux : Enseignements tirés de l’Initiative de déclaration conjointe pour les micro-, petites et moyennes entreprises |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-12/trade-agreements-wto-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{g2020lorganisation, author = {G., Loly A. Gaitán}, title = {{L’Organisation mondiale du commerce et les accords commerciaux : Enseignements tirés de l’Initiative de déclaration conjointe pour les micro-, petites et moyennes entreprises}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-12/trade-agreements-wto-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }