Principles of application sanitary and phytosanitary measures: WTO and EU requirements

Abstract

Problem setting. The study highlights the basic principles that reflect the basic principles of regulating the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures under WTO law through the prism of EU requirements: the principles of independence, non-discrimination, scientific validity, national treatment, most-favored-nation treatment, transparency, harmonization. Target of research. The main target of this research is to analyze the principles that reflect the basic principles of regulating the application of SPS under WTO law: the principles of independence, non-discrimination, scientific validity, national treatment, most-favored-nation treatment, transparency, harmonization and their extrapolation into EU law. Analysis of recent researches and publications. The following scientists were engaged in research of issues: V. Nosik, A. Stativka, A. Dukhnevych, H. Grigorieva, G. Mamyshov, S. Komendantov, N. Chuiko, T. Gulyaeva, M. Popov, A. Popova and others. Article`s main body. Considering that the legal principles of application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, which are provided by WTO law, are binding on Ukraine and the EU, and they are based on domestic and European legislation in this area, as well as noting that their direction and content these principles are heterogeneous, they are divided into two groups: the principle of independence (the principle of sovereignty) and anti-protectionist principle. The principles of the second group are aimed at a single goal – to restrict the sovereign freedom of the state to decide on sanitary and phytosanitary measures in its territory or sanitary and phytosanitary measures on products that enter (import) into its territory. In the system of anti-protectionist principles of WTO law, the basic component (principle of non-discrimination), regime component (principles of national regime and most-favored-nation regime), information component (principle of transparency) and substantive component (principles of scientific substantiation and harmonization) are singled out. Developed and politically strong countries, taking into account their own economic, social, environmental and other risks, choose different strategies to protect their own interests, among which the most popular is the strategy of increasing the requirements for sanitary and phytosanitary measures on the basis of scientifically sound data. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The legal principles of application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, which are provided by WTO law, are binding on Ukraine and the EU, and are based on domestic and European legislation in this area. The conclusion that the most popular are: the strategy of increasing the requirements for sanitary and phytosanitary measures on the basis of scientifically based data and the politically sound decision to ignore some requirements and anti-protectionist principles is substantiated.