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National Treatment and the GATS: Lessons from Jurisprudence

Non-discrimination is one of the fundamental principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The National treatment is one of the provisions that translate the principle into concrete legal obligations. Under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), it aims to avoid discrimination between domestic and foreign services and service suppliers. The application of this obligation is subject to the fulfilment of cumulative conditions that are subject to interpretation. This has raised numerous issues regarding both the scope of application and requirements of Article XVII GATS. Over the past decade, WTO adjudicating bodies have issued several reports that address the interpretation of national treatment under the GATS. While this has clarified some points, other issues remain largely unresolved. This article discusses the interpretation of national treatment in the light of these recent developments.