Market access GATS Annex

One of the reasons which impelled the author to write this article is the numerous assertions made by aviation experts and economists at international/ora, time and again, that market access in air transport should be brought under the purview of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) Air Transport Annex of the World Trade Organization. Of particular inspiration was the fact that these... 

It is not the purpose of this article to argue the merits and demerits of transferring market access in air transport to the GATS Annex. However, this article will address some issues that might have a practical impact on the subject, along with the more pertinent question of what measures are needed to include market access in the GATS Air Transport Annex, should the world decide to go that way. 

If one side of the coin presents regulation of market access under the GATS Annex, the other side reflects the concept of open skies which conceptually reflects total liberalization of market access. A discussion of what is involved in such an arrangement bilaterally or multilaterally among States is best seen in the open skies agreement between the European Union and the United States. 

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