- 學位論文
WTO技術性貿易障礙之研究－以環保標章制度為例
A Study on Technical Barriers to Trade under WTO Agreements-Focusing on Eco-Labelling Schemes
摘要
中 文 摘 要 部分經濟學家深信自由貿易可以使全世界生產資源，達到最有效利用，並能增進社會福利，因此經常撰文或在國際組織研討會場合大聲疾呼各國應減少貿易障礙，實施自由貿易，但自由貿易政策，在不同國家執行時，仍會有不同形式之差異。已開發國家，挾其豐沛資源，將大量工業產品銷售至其他國家，而開發中國家礙於生產技術與經濟規模，無法與已開發國家相提並論，若未有適當配套措施而驟然實施自由貿易，反而將阻礙其經濟發展。倘若各國經濟發展條件相同，實施自由貿易的確可以改善人類物質生活，惟檢視現今貿易環境，自由貿易極可能淪為已開發國家為保有其競爭優勢，抑制開發中國家經濟發展之工具，因此如何貫徹國際貿易之公平原則，利用諮商與談判，摒除一切不當干預，在國際貿易實務上顯得格外重要。 檢視GATT前五次多邊回合談判係以關稅減讓為主。自第六次甘迺迪回合談判，非關稅貿易障礙議題始獲重視，惟關稅減讓仍為談判之主軸。第七次東京回合談判時，由於許多國家關稅已降至相當低程度，各會員國為確保國內經濟發展，而採取諸多貿易限制措施，形成非關稅貿易障礙。其中技術法規、標準或食品安全檢驗與動植物防疫檢疫措施等，因規範產品特性、其相關製程及生產方法，進口國可能會藉此作為產品進入其國內市場之先決條件，形成所謂「技術性貿易障礙」。以環保標章制度為例，進口國將授予環保標章之資格或相關產品製程或生產方法訂在外國生產者難以符合之標準，此時進口國便可輕易地影響進口產品在其國內市場之銷售及競爭條件，其中所涉及之貿易障礙問題，可能違反WTO架構下不歧視原則。雖然技術性貿易障礙協定容許一國政府為維護其國民健康、安全或其他諸如環境保護、防止欺騙行為等目的，對於產品得限制其規格或標準，惟各國於制訂技術法規或擬定相關環保標準時，仍宜注意避免造成不必要之貿易障礙或隱藏性之貿易限制。 本文係從WTO架構下貿易障礙為出發點，探討環保標章制度與技術性貿易障礙之關係。其中就環保標章制度可能衍生之技術性貿易障礙問題，如構成歧視待遇、產生域外管轄效果及違反公開透明原則等作討論，並提出各國政府於規劃或實施環保標章計畫時宜注意之事項供參考。復以我國環保標章制度之推動現況作介紹，就對外如何積極參與國際事務與對內如何結合政府機關綠色採購作為，藉以擴大綠色消費之成效作說明。最後並對我國未來環保標章制度之運作方式提出具體建議，期使環保標章作業程序更加透明及便民，以符合社會大眾對綠色消費之期待及避免造成不必要之貿易障礙。
並列摘要
ABSTRACT Some economists firmly believe that the policy of free trade will make maximum possible utilization of production resources of the entire world and will significantly enhance welfare to all human societies. They, in turn, always to write the papers or on the seminar which be hold of the international organizations loudly clamor for pooled efforts of all countries throughout the world to minimize barriers against trade and to put into practice free trade. The policy of free trade, nevertheless, tends to run into gaps in different levels when put into enforcement in different countries. Those developed countries, taking advantage of their abundant resources, launch massive sales of their industrial products to other countries. Those developing countries be short of the technology and economic scale are certainly not the rival of the developed counterparts, must inevitably undergo counterproductive outcome against their economic development if they jump into reckless enforcement of the free trade policy before they provide sound counterpart measures. Supposing all countries hold exactly the same conditions for economic development, enforcement of the free trade policy will definitely help upgrade the material lifestyle of humans. As far as the current climate for trade is concerned, free trade is very likely to become a tool of developed countries to inhibit developing counterparts from sound economic development. How to put the international trade into a fair play to eliminate all sorts of unjustifiable interference by means of coordination and negotiation? The answers to such questions become especially significant in international trade. In five rounds of multilateral trade negotiations under the auspices of GATT, they primarily focused on tariff cut. Not until the sixth round of multilateral trade negotiations, called the Kennedy Round, did the issues of non-tariff trading barriers receive reasonable attention. Nevertheless, tariff cut has still been dominating the key issues of the negotiations. Tokyo Round, The 7th round of multilateral trade negotiations, while a good number of the countries had brought their tariffs down to a certain level, those member countries adopted quite a few restrictive measures against trade, bringing virtually into being non-tariff trade barriers. In the aspects of technical regulations, standards, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, with their characteristics regulating respective products, tend to be adopted by the importing countries as the preconditions for those products to enter their countries, shaping up the so-called “technical barriers to trade”. Taking the Eco-Labelling Schemes for example. The importing countries tend to enact the qualification requirements for accreditation of the Eco-Labelling, the process of relevant products or method of production which are hard to meet with by foreign manufacturers. The importing countries, therefore, can easily affect the chances and terms of imported products for marketing in their countries. The trade barrier related issues might breach the non-discriminative rules under the WTO frameworks. The Agreement on technical barriers to trade permit the government of a country to impose restriction upon products regarding the specifications and standards in an attempt to safeguard health of the nationals, security or other purposes like environmental protection and prevention of fraud. When they enact the technical regulations or draw up environmental protection criteria, nevertheless, all countries are still advised to watch the practice to prevent the unnecessary obstacles to international trade or hidden restrictions upon trade. Through the present essay, the author tries to probe the interrelationship between the Eco-Labelling Schemes and technical barriers to trade in the perspective of WTO frameworks. On the technical barriers to trade which might derive from the Eco-Labelling Schemes, e.g., discriminative treatment, extraterritorial jurisdiction effect and violation of the transparency and openness, the study offers profound discussions and provides the key issues which all countries are advised to watch and take reference upon their planning and enforcement of Eco-Labelling Schemes. Furthermore, it introduces to how the Republic of China on Taiwan has implemented the Eco-Labelling Schemes with explanation on how it puts forth wholehearted effort to participate in international affairs and how it teams up with the government entities in the green procurement. Finally, it offers concrete proposals regarding how Eco-Labelling Schemes should be implemented in a sound manner so that the operating procedures on the Eco-Labelling Schemes will be more transparent and easier accessible to general public. Through such efforts, it will live up to the public anticipation about the green consumption and will minimize the unnecessary obstacles to international trade.