The Law and Politics of WTO Waivers

DespitebeinganimportantlegalinstrumentinthelawoftheWTO,thewaiverhashithertobeenthesubjectoflittlescholarlyanalysis.IsabelFeichtnerfillsthisgapbychallengingtheconventionalviewthattheWTO'spoliticalbodiesdonotengageinsignificantlaw-making.ShesystemisestheGATTandWTOwaiverpracticeandsuggestsatypologyofwaiversasindividualexception,generalexceptionandrule-makinginstruments.Shealsopresentstheproceduralandsubstantivelegalrequirementsforthegrantingofwaivers,dealswithquestionsofjudicialreviewandinterpretationofwaiverdecisions,andclarifiesthewaiver'spotentialandlimitsforaddressingtheneedforflexibilityandadaptabilityinpublicinternationallawandWTOlawinparticular.Byconnectingtheanalysisofwaivercompetenceandwaiverpracticetothegeneralstability/flexibilitychallengeinpublicinternationallaw,thebookshedsnewlightontheWTO,internationalinstitutionsandinternationallaw.