Trade challenges at the World Trade Organization to national noncommunicable disease prevention policies: A thematic document analysis of trade and health policy space.
Trade challenges at the World Trade Organization to national noncommunicable disease prevention policies: A thematic document analysis of trade and health policy space.
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世界贸易组织对国家非传染性疾病预防政策的贸易挑战：贸易和卫生政策领域的主题文件分析。
DOI：
10.1371/journal.pmed.1002590
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发表时间：
2018-06
期刊：
影响因子：
15.8
通讯作者：
Stuckler D
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Barlow P;Labonte R;McKee M;Stuckler D
长期以来，人们一直争论贸易规则和协议是否被用来对旨在预防非传染性疾病（NCD）的法规提出争议。然而，大多数对贸易规则和协议的分析都集中在贸易争端上，可能忽视了对法规与贸易规则一致性的挑战可能会导致“政策或监管冷淡”效应，即各国推迟、改变或废除法规以避免争端成本。此前，由于缺乏系统编码数据，无法对这一影响途径进行系统的实证分析。在这里，我们分析了 122 个世界贸易组织 (WTO) 成员从 1995 年 1 月 1 日到 2016 年 12 月 31 日期间新创建的有关食品、饮料和烟草法规的贸易挑战数据集。我们按主题描述了贸易挑战的范围和频率，分析了提出和捍卫这些挑战的国家之间的经济不对称性，并总结了其可能影响的 4 个案例。 1995 年至 2016 年间，世贸组织对 93 项食品、饮料和烟草法规提出了质疑。 “不必要的”贸易成本是 16.4% 挑战的焦点。只有一项（1.1%）挑战仍未解决并升级为贸易争端。 39 项 (41.9%) 挑战重点关注标签法规，18 项 (19.4%) 重点关注加工肉类和卷烟香料等某些产品的质量标准和限制。高收入国家提出的挑战占低收入和中低收入国家提出的所有挑战的 77.4% (n = 72)。我们进一步确定了印度尼西亚、智利、哥伦比亚和沙特阿拉伯的 4 个案例，其中挑战与食品和饮料法规的变化有关。数据限制无法对政策影响和挑战有效性进行全面评估。政策制定者似乎面临着设计其他国家认为与贸易规则一致的食品、饮料和烟草法规的巨大压力。仅限于正式贸易争端的分析可能会低估与贸易有关的公共卫生政策的影响。 Pepita Barlow 及其同事分析了世贸组织成员对食品、饮料和烟草法规的挑战是否可能影响旨在促进健康实践的政策。关于是否援引世界贸易组织 (WTO) 规则来阻止政府引入旨在预防非传染性疾病 (NCD) 的食品、饮料和烟草法规，存在争议。精选案例研究确定了各国如何推迟、改变或废除法规，以避免此类“贸易挑战”后的争端成本。然而，人们对这种情况发生的频率、哪些政策以及是否有任何政策影响的证据知之甚少。我们创建并分析了 1995 年至 2016 年间 122 个 WTO 成员对食品、饮料和烟草法规提出的贸易挑战的新数据集。我们发现，1995 年至 2016 年间，世贸组织有 93 项食品、饮料和烟草法规受到挑战。 “不必要的”贸易成本是 16.4% 挑战的焦点。我们还发现了 4 个与政策变化相关的挑战案例。政策制定者似乎面临着设计其他国家认为与贸易规则一致的食品、饮料和烟草法规的巨大压力。然而，需要更多的研究来评估挑战的有效性和影响力。
It has long been contested that trade rules and agreements are used to dispute regulations aimed at preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Yet most analyses of trade rules and agreements focus on trade disputes, potentially overlooking how a challenge to a regulation’s consistency with trade rules may lead to ‘policy or regulatory chill’ effects whereby countries delay, alter, or repeal regulations in order to avoid the costs of a dispute. Systematic empirical analysis of this pathway to impact was previously prevented by a dearth of systematically coded data. Here, we analyse a newly created dataset of trade challenges about food, beverage, and tobacco regulations among 122 World Trade Organization (WTO) members from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2016. We thematically describe the scope and frequency of trade challenges, analyse economic asymmetries between countries raising and defending them, and summarise 4 cases of their possible influence. Between 1995 and 2016, 93 food, beverage, and tobacco regulations were challenged at the WTO. ‘Unnecessary’ trade costs were the focus of 16.4% of the challenges. Only one (1.1%) challenge remained unresolved and escalated to a trade dispute. Thirty-nine (41.9%) challenges focussed on labelling regulations, and 18 (19.4%) focussed on quality standards and restrictions on certain products like processed meats and cigarette flavourings. High-income countries raised 77.4% (n = 72) of all challenges raised against low- and lower-middle–income countries. We further identified 4 cases in Indonesia, Chile, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia in which challenges were associated with changes to food and beverage regulations. Data limitations precluded a comprehensive evaluation of policy impact and challenge validity. Policy makers appear to face significant pressure to design food, beverage, and tobacco regulations that other countries will deem consistent with trade rules. Trade-related influence on public health policy is likely to be understated by analyses limited to formal trade disputes. Pepita Barlow and colleagues analyze whether challenges to food, beverage, and tobacco regulations among WTO members may influence policies meant to promote healthy practices. There is a debate about whether World Trade Organization (WTO) rules are invoked to prevent governments from introducing food, beverage, and tobacco regulations aimed at preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Select case studies have identified how countries may delay, alter, or repeal regulations in order to avoid the costs of a dispute following such a ‘trade challenge’. Yet little is known about how often this might occur, about which policies, and about whether there is any evidence of policy impact. We created and analysed a new dataset of trade challenges to food, beverage, and tobacco regulations among 122 WTO members during the period from 1995 to 2016. We found that, between 1995 and 2016, 93 food, beverage, and tobacco regulations were challenged at the WTO. ‘Unnecessary’ trade costs were the focus of 16.4% of challenges. We also identified 4 cases in which challenges were associated with policy change. Policy makers appear to face significant pressure to design food, beverage, and tobacco regulations that other countries will deem consistent with trade rules. However, more research is necessary to evaluate the validity and influence of challenges.
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