International Public Procurement Law:The Evolution of International Regimes on Public Purchasing

In an attempt to reduce barriers to international trade, public procurement agreements have evolved during the past three decades at both global and regional levels. These agreements give rise to a number of complex, topical issues. Yet apart from studies on European Union procurement rules, there are few books on public procurement, particularly covering regional procurement agreements. This important new study fills this informational void by providing a detailed assessment of these agreements, focusing on the problem of protectionism in government procurement, long recognized as a major barrier to international trade. Its coverage includes: + a thorough analysis of all of the important international procurement agreements -- EFTA, the EC's first and second attempts, the GATT Code of the Tokyo Round, the Israel--US and Canada--US Free Trade Agreements, NAFTA, and the Uruguay Round WTO Procurement Code -- with special attention to the bid challenge mechanisms of the various regimes, + a discussion and evaluation of judicial decisions of the various tribunals, + an examination of the reasons why many of these agreements have achieved only limited success, + proposed solutions to the various problems encountered, + an analysis of approaches taken in the regulation of public procurement, comparing their relative advantages and disadvantages, + an economic analysis of domestic preference policies in government procurement, + a discussion of the relationship between various institutional frameworks and their optimal regulatory solution, + the author's general conclusions and recommendations for the future, focusing on the problem of the agreement on government procurement and the initiatives currently pursued in this respect, and, + suggestions for ways to overcome current problems in order to both widen and deepen the application of international procurement standards. Procurement lawyers, experts and officials; international economic law professors; public international lawyers; and international organisations will all appreciate this valuable guide to understanding international procurement agreements, including the new tendering rules they impose. Its comprehensive coverage of all types of international public procurement regimes -- multilateral, regional and bilateral -- makes International Public Procurement Law an unmatched resource.