GATT Article XXI, the Continuous Quest for Clarifying its Material Scope, and the WTO Panel Report on Russia - Measures concerning Traffic in Transit

Year 2019, Volume: 39 Issue: 2, 511 - 552, 03.12.2019

Ömer Faruk Direk

https://doi.org/10.26650/ppil.2019.39.2.0015

Abstract

It has been witnessed - especially for the last couple of years - that several states have relied on GATT Article XXI (or the so-called the WTO national security exception) to derogate from their WTO obligations. GATT Article XXI states that contracting parties are not precluded from taking any action which they consider necessary for the protection of their essential national security interests. In turn, such an exception has raised difficult legal questions since the inception of the GATT. First, is the authority vested in the contracting parties self-judging, or can it be reviewed by WTO adjudicatory bodies? Second, what is the standard for a review to be conducted in respect of Article XXI ratione materiae? This Article examines the reviewability and meaning of the WTO national security exception in depth. It also pays specific attention to Russia – Measures Concerning Traffic in Transit (DS 512), which is the first ever adjudication of GATT Article XXI by a WTO panel. Overall, this Article argues that while the question of its reviewability should no longer be disputable, there still exists a continuous quest to clarify the entire material scope of GATT Article XXI. 

Keywords

GATT Article XXI, WTO National Security Exception, Russia – Measures Concerning Traffic in Transit, the Good Faith Obligation, Djibouti v. France, Certain Iranian Assets

Supporting Institution

The author received no financial support for this work.

Gümrük Tarifeleri ve Ticaret Genel Anlaşması Madde XXI, Süregelen Muğlak Içeriğinin Açıklığa Kavuşturulması ve Russia-Measures Concerning Traffic in Transit Kararı

Abstract

Dünya Ticaret Örgütü’ne taraf birçok devlet, son yıllarda Gümrük Tarifeleri ve Ticaret Genel Anlaşması Madde XXI tahtında DTÖ Anlaşmalarındaki yükümlülüklerinden kaçınmaya başlamıştır. DTÖ Anlaşmalarında istisnai bir hüküm olarak kabul edilen Madde XXI, üye devletlere ulusal güvenliğin korunması adına önemli bir takdir yetkisi vermektedir. Ancak hem bu Maddenin muğlak ve tartışmalı olan içeriği hem de şimdiye kadar olan uygulaması uluslararası hukuk açısından ayrıntılı bir incelemeyi gerektirmektedir. Bu bağlamda, bu makale Madde XXI ile ilgili iki temel soruya cevap aramaktadır. Makalede, ilk olarak üye devletlere verilen takdir yetkisinin münhasır olup olmadığı yada DTÖ panelleri tarafından yargılanıp yargılanamayacağı irdelenmektedir. Daha sonra ise, söz konusu takdir yetkisinin yargılanabilir olduğu kabul edildiği durumda, yapılacak olan yargılamanın hangi ölçütlere göre yapılması gerektiği tartışılmaktadır. Yapılan bu incelemeler, Madde XXI uygulaması ile ilgili ilk DTÖ panel kararı niteliğini haiz ve çok yakın zamanda verilmiş olan Russia- Measures concerning Traffic in Transit kararı ışığında ele alınmıştır. Makale, özetle, üye devletlere bırakılan takdir yetkisin münhasır olmadığını, ancak bu yetkinin süregelen muğlak içeriğinin açıklığa kavuşturulma ihtiyacının devam etmekte olduğunu iddia etmektedir. 

Keywords

Dünya Ticaret Örgütü, Gümrük Tarifeleri ve Ticaret Genel Anlaşması Madde XXI, Russia- Measures concerning Traffic in Transit, Uluslararası hukukta iyiniyet kuralı, Djibouti v. France, Certain Iranian Assets

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