THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES

This article gives an insight into the most essential issues of EC/EU membership in the WTO. After briefly explaining the main functions of the GATT and the WTO, the author gives an overview of the EC/EU role in the GATT/WTO. The article outlines the major challenges that both the EU and WTO face today. It argues that many of the changes within the EU have been influenced by its membership of the WTO. Finally, the article summarises the status of GATT and WTO agreements in EU law