The Trade Dispute About Genetically Engineered Products : Argentina Against the European Communities

Abstract

This article aims to describe the circumstances and development of the first significant trade dispute involving the regulatory views on genetically engineered (GE, referred to as genetically modified, GM, in the European Legislation) crops. It will also show how the World Trade Organization (WTO) managed through this complex case, which -- in addition to its basic long standing rules -- was called to deal with emerging environmental international legislation and with food-safety issues. An additional purpose of this work is to show how social concerns over risks may impose changes on local legislation which, in turn, would impact the regulations of a trade partner. Finally, another purpose of this article is to stress the importance of keeping the highest quality standards in seeking scientific evidence on which to base regulatory decisions.