世界貿易組織與區域貿易協定之競合與衝突研究 —以爭端解決機制為中心

Abstract

1994年世界貿易組織（WTO）成立後，其即繼GATT而成為最重要的多邊國際貿易組織；而WTO下設成立的爭端解決機制，也因強制管轄權的賦予，而被認定為維繫WTO有效運作的重要基石。然而，隨著區域貿易協定（RTA）在1990年後的快速成長，目前RTA已成為國際貿易規範不可忽略的一環，且在多邊貿易協定新回合談判陷入僵局的同時，RTA之發展即更令人注意。除了WTO的爭端解決機制，目前許多RTA也自行設有爭端解決機制；此外，隨著擴張RTA爭端解決機制管轄權的爭端管轄條款的訂定，以及排除WTO對會員間爭端解決管轄權行使的場域選擇條款之出現，WTO和RTA爭端解決機制間管轄權重疊和競合狀況即隨之發生，並曾在WTO訴訟中被提出。 本論文之研究，首先將對目前生效適用的RTA進行分析，並將管轄權條款依其對WTO爭端解決機制管轄權之影響加以分類；其次，根據對WTO判決先例研究所得之分析以及國際法相關原則的適用，本論文將提出WTO爭端解決機制調和WTO和RTA管轄權衝突之可能方法，並希望藉由此論文研究之提出，能對WTO和RTA規範之調和有所貢獻，並避免國際法脆裂狀況之發生。

Succeeding the old GATT system, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has become the most dominant multilateral international trade organization since its establishment in 1994. The efficient Dispute Settlment Mechanism (DSM) under WTO with compulsory jurisdiction over disputes among WTO members is also the pillar of WTO and has also been hailed as “jewel of the crown”. However, after the 1990s, Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) have developed rapidly and become the mainstream of nowaday’s international trade regulation while the WTO struggled with difficulties during the Doha negotiation Round. Moreover, RTAs also established its own DSM, and with the adoption of jurisdiction clause or forum selection clause to expand the RTA DSM’s jurisdiction or to exclude WTO’s jurisdiction over disputes. The overlapping jurisdiction has become a serious problem between WTO and RTAs’ DSMs, and dispute upon this issue has also been raised before WTO panel and Appellate Body. By analyzing RTAs in force, this thesis will first indicate the trend of jurisdictional clauses used by members under RTAs, and will classify it by how it would affect WTO DSM’s jurisdiction over disputes. Furthermore, based on the guidance extract from WTO jurisprudence and implementation of related international principles, this thesis will also bring up suggested solutions for WTO DSM in order to harmonize the conflict of jurisdictions between DSMs. With the content mentioned above, the findings and suggestions of this thesis may contribute to the harmonization of relationship between WTO and RTAs, and thus prevent the international trade law from fragmentation.