This article examines an issue of systemic and economic importance in World Trade Organization (WTO) law, namely, the fact that the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) agreements overlap to some extent, possibly giving rise to unexpected obligations and even conflicts of norms. The purpose of the article is twofold: it first analyzes the – very few – positions that have so far been taken on this issue, arguing that they have tended to deal with singular aspects of a problem that actually has a considerable number of facets. It then explains these different layers of the problem and sets out a more comprehensive doctrinal approach to these issues.
Legal Issues of Economic Integration