How developed are the World Trade Organisation’s
(WTO) financial services provisions? How could the limitations of
WTO rules for financial services be addressed? What kinds of
restrictions are not permitted in the financial services sector
under the General Agreement on Trade in Services
(GATS)?
These are among the questions the House of Lords EU
Financial Affairs Sub-Committee will be asking two witnesses on
Wednesday 13 March 2019.
Giving evidence to the Committee at 10.15am will
be:
-
Dr Lorand Bartels, Senior Counsel, Linklaters LLP
and Reader in International Law, University of
Cambridge
-
Eric White, Consultant, Herbert Smith
Freehills.
Other questions they are likely to face
include:
-
What are the EU’s specific commitments for
financial services under the GATS?
-
Is there any appetite for strengthening and
expanding the provisions in the GATS?
-
Some of the EU’s free trade agreements (FTA)
require concessions on services to be extended to other
countries with whom the EU has an FTA. Could this restrict the
EU’s ability to grant UK-based services and service suppliers
greater market access?
-
Could a lack of EU equivalence decisions for the UK
be challenged under the WTO for not adhering to the Most
Favoured Nation clause?
This evidence session, which is open to the
public, will take place from 10.15am on Wednesday 13 March 2019
in Committee Room 4A of the House of
Lords.
