A warmer welcome? Access for natural persons under PTAs

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511812392.016

13 - A warmer welcome? Access for natural persons under PTAs

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 December 2011

Antonia Carzaniga

Edited by

Juan A. Marchetti and

Martin Roy

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Antonia Carzaniga: Affiliation:
WTO Secretariat
Juan A. Marchetti: Affiliation:
World Trade Organization
Martin Roy: Affiliation:
World Trade Organization

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Summary

In comparison to the other three modes of supplying services under the GATS, few market opening commitments have been undertaken by WTO members with respect to the movement of natural persons – mode 4 – as a result of the Uruguay Round and subsequent extended negotiations. This begs the question: have WTO members been more forthcoming in their PTAs?

This chapter aims at providing an answer. It first briefly discusses issues related to the definition and measurement of mode 4. Second, it summarizes the overall level of mode 4 liberalization currently granted by WTO members in their GATS commitments and provides an overview of the improvements found in members' initial and revised offers. This sets the general background against which market access granted for mode 4 in recent PTAs is assessed, in the third section. A final section attempts to draw some conclusions.

What we know about the supply of services through the movement of natural persons

What does mode 4 encompass?

This section examines the scope of mode 4 under the GATS. Though somewhat technical, the exercise is rendered necessary in order to fully understand the precise coverage of mode 4, and in light of the structure that will be adopted in the examination of mode 4 concessions in PTAs.

Type: Chapter
Information: Opening Markets for Trade in Services
Countries and Sectors in Bilateral and WTO Negotiations
, pp. 475 - 502

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511812392.016 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2009

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