The international services trade in light of the principles of WTO

The World Trade Organization is the youngest international organization with a global scope and its basic purpose is the abolition of limitations in the flow of goods and services. Desiring to realize this intention the WTO members also signed a General Agreement concerning services trade (GATS). This treaty is the first multilateral agreement which establishes the principles of liberalization of the international rendering of services. The basic purpose of the article was a presentation of the general rules upon which GATS is based, i.e. the most favoured clause and the national treatment of foreign service givers and their offer. The states which accepted the provisions of the General Agreement declare thereby readiness to participate in an unrestricted flow of services which creates the possibility of the formation of a world market of this type of products. Such an attitude characterizes the most developed states, although the offer of countries going through transformation (including Poland) should be recognized as concordant with the globalization trend, based on the removal of barriers in international trade.