ABSTRACT
Four underlying trends characterise the shift from the GATT to a wider and deeper WTO: standards harmonisation; legalisation; politicisation; and regionalisation. There are three scenarios for the WTO's middle-distance future, crystallised by the Doha Round agenda: (1) a GATT-style market access focus; (2) an EU-style regulatory agency with a standards harmonisation agenda; (3) a UN-style development agency, with more aid and carve-outs for developing countries. Intergovernmental politics - a bundle of old and new forces - will largely determine the outcome.
