WTO agreements: ways of interpretation

Abstract

Background. The most of the world’s trade relations are governed by uniform rules that form the legal basis of the WTO. Member states sometimes have different understanding of the content of their rights and obligations, which are in the WTO agreements. This gives rise to controversy between them. To reduce the number of disputes between states, they should use uniform ways of interpreting WTO agreements.
Analysis of recent research and publications has revealed that the interpretation of WTO legal sources has not been the subject of a separate study, therefore, requires clarification.
The aim of the article is to identify and theoretically comprehend the main ways of interpreting the WTO agreements.
Materials and methods. The set of general scientific and special methods of scientific research is chosen as the methodological basis.
Results. WTO law consists of legal norms and the general rules of interpretationof the theory of law are applied to clarify their meaning. The legal sources of the WTO are the sources of public international law. Therefore, for the interpretation of the norms of this organization, the methods of international law are primarily used. The main source of rules for the interpretation of international treaties is the 1969 Vienna Convention on Treaties. The Agreement on the Rules for the Settlement of Disputes specifies that the usual rules of interpretation of international law are applied to clarify the rules of WTO agreements. Thus, for the interpretation of WTO agreements, the rules enshrined in the Vienna Convention and other methods of interpretation used in international law are applied. Articles 31, 32 of the Convention provide for such methods of interpretation as textual, teleological interpretation, clarification of the meaning of the term of the contract by establishing the intentions of the participants and historical interpretation. It is worth adding to the list of ways of interpreting WTO law such general theoretical methods as logical, systematic, special legal interpretation, etc.
Conclusion. So, the methods of interpretation of the WTO agreements include textual, teleological, historical interpretation, the interpretation of norms by clarifying the intentions of the parties to the treaty, as well as general theoretical methods of interpretation.