- GATS and the WTO Ministerial in Cancún, September 2003
While GATS is not a key agenda item in Cancún, there is concern that promises made by the EU and US in other WTO areas will be used to extract further services liberalisation under the GATS. This puts immense pressure on developing countries to commit more of their services to the agreement's binding free trade rules.
- Education out of GATS International sign-on statement Take education out of GATS was launched on 20th August 2003.
WHAT IS GATS?
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is an international trade agreement that came into effect in 1995 and operates under the umbrella of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The aim of the GATS is to gradually remove all barriers to trade in services. The agreement covers services as diverse as banking, education, healthcare, rubbish collection, tourism or transport.
The idea is to open up these services to international competition, allowing the way for huge, for-profit, multinational firms.
"The GATS is not just something that exists between Governments. It is first and foremost an instrument for the benefit of business"
European Commission, 1999
Since February 2000, negotiations are underway in the WTO to expand and 'fine-tune' the GATS. These negotiations have aroused concern world-wide. A growing number of local governments, trade unions, NGOs, parliaments and developing country governments are criticising the GATS negotiations and call for a halt on the negotiations.
Their main points of critique:
- Negative impacts on universal access to basic services such as healthcare, education, water and transport.
- Fundamental conflict between freeing up trade in services and the right of governments and communities to regulate companies in areas such as tourism, retail, telecommunications and broadcasting.
- Absence of a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of GATS-style liberalisation before further negotiations continue.
- A one-sided deal. GATS is primarily about expanding opportunities for large multinational companies.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Introductory texts on GATS
Recent critical papers on GATS
Everything else you always wanted to know about GATS, but...