Is it true that WTO rulings don t allow governments to take the environmental measures they need to protect their natural resources?
It isn t true. WTO member governments can take the environmental measures they consider to be necessary. However, WTO rules contain basic principles, including non-discrimination (most-favoured-nation treatment and national treatment) and the prohibition of quotas. The rules allow exceptions for environmental or security concerns. The WTO takes environmental and health and safety concerns into consideration and recognizes the right of all governments to take measures to protect the environment. Such measures, however, must be applied without discrimination. GATT s Article XX allows governments to take measures necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health (Art. XX(b)) and measures related to the conservation of natural resources (Art. XX(g)). The opening part of Article XX says that any environmental action must be applied without arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination and must not constitute a disguised restriction on international trade. In other words if a government
