The Task Force on Regulatory Systems Coherence aims to examine the problems posed by differences in regulation and regulatory regimes across markets and consider alternative approaches that could be taken by governments and the business community to reduce the regulatory barriers to trade.

Research and deliberations aim to assess how countries are pursuing regulatory cooperation in the context of bilateral, regional or multilateral initiatives, the state of play in the WTO, and more generally options for multilateral cooperation on regulation to enhance global welfare.

The Task Force aims to propose short, medium and long-term policy options, to be brought to the attention of a representative group of policy makers, business and civil society leaders at the 2016 WEF Annual Meeting in Davos.

The Task Force is part of the broader E15 Initiative of the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and the World Economic Forum.  

Research Team 

Theme Leader: Petros C. Mavroidis, EUI and Columbia Law School

Convener: Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, Chief Executive at ICTSD

Co-convener: Bernard M. Hoekman, EUI

Publications

Strengthening the Global Trade and Investment System in the 21st Century, Harsha V. Singh, Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, Richard Samans, Sean Doherty (Synthesis report January 2016)

Regulatory Cooperation: Lessons From The Wto And The World Trade Regime, Petros C. Mavroidis, (Policy Options Papers, January 2016)

Private Standards—Implications for Trade, Development, and Governance, Vera Helena Thorstensen, Reinhard Weissinger, Xinhua Sun (Publication, September 2015)

A Role for the World Trade Organization on Regulatory Coherence, Thomas Bollyky (Council on Foreign Relations)

Promoting Greater Regulatory Coherence and Cooperation through Aid for Trade: What could be done? What role for the private sector and the WTO?, Olivier Cattaneo (Yale University)

How Can We Know (More) About the Trade Effects of Regulation?, Robert Wolfe (Queen’s University Canada)

The Third Pillar: Behind the Scenes, WTO Committee Work Delivers, Erik Wijkström (Publication, August 2015)

Opposites attract? Bringing the trade and regulatory communities together, Petros C. Mavroidis (Blog Post, August 2015)

Subsidies and Spillovers in a Value Chain World: New Rules Required?, Bernard Hoekman (Publication, July 2015)

Bridges to Nowhere? WTO Adjudication and the Academic World, Petros C. Mavroidis (Blog Post, May 2015)

Regulatory Spillovers and the Trading System: From Coherence to Cooperation, Bernard M. Hoekman, Petros C. Mavroidis (Overview paper, April 2015)

Trade Costs and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development

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