WTO GPA Membership: Status & Prospects

An article, “An Assessment of WTO GPA Membership: Current Status and Future Prospects”, which has been published in the Public Procurement Law Review (27 PPLR, Issue 1 (2018)), examines the expansion of membership in the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) since 1996. Three factors underlie its 26-member expansion: European Union (EU) enlargement; fulfillment of WTO commitments to join the GPA; and voluntary accession. The article also considers the prospects for future expansion of the GPA, focusing on WTO members’ commitments to seek GPA membership and more flexible use of transitional measures tailored to the needs of developing countries. Because of the limited use of such measures in GPA accessions, the article examines the use of transitional measures in bilateral and regional trade agreements, in particular in free trade agreements negotiated by the United States, the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and the EU-Vietnam trade agreement. Jean Heilman Grier January 30, 2018 Related Posts Prospects for Expansion of WTO Procurement Pact