HYPERLINK
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1212-04.htm
No state or local group has yet recognized the threat posed to land use =
laws
and local sovereignty by the WTO's one-size-fits-all rules for service
firms. One group that has recognized this threat is major retail firms. =
=85=85
The threat posed by the GATS to state and local governments was =
highlighted
this year by the WTO's ruling in an Internet gambling case. Over the
strenuous objections of the U.S. government, the WTO Appellate Body =
declared
hat the United States had signed up (or committed) the entire gambling
sector to the GATS, even though the word "gambling" never appeared in =
U.S.
negotiating papers. Because of this ruling, all federal, state and local
laws governing gambling must comply with GATS rules, which forbid bans =
on
activities (such as gambling) in committed sectors and forbid a variety =
of
other limits on gambling. While the United States dodged a bullet in =
this
case, because the WTO said it could rely on the public morals exception
contained in the GATS to argue that Internet gambling posed a unique =
hazard,
no such exception would protect local zoning policies, and the GATS does =
not
include even a weak exception for the protection of natural resources =
found
in many other trade agreements.=20
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