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Institutional Interaction in Global Environmental Governance: The Case of the Cartagena Protocol and the World Trade Organization

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  • Sebastian Oberthür
  • Thomas Gehring

Abstract

The competitive quest of the Cartagena Protocol and the WTO for authority to regulate international trade in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) exemplifies a typical interaction between international institutions with diverging objectives. This article first develops a conceptual framework for the analysis of institutional interaction that emphasizes disaggregation of complex interaction situations into separate cases of clearly directed inter-institutional influence. These cases can follow different causal mechanisms. Second, applying this framework to the interaction between the Cartagena Protocol and the WTO reveals that existing commitments have driven parties toward a step-wise delimitation of the institutions' jurisdictions. Although the WTO acquired a firstmover advantage by structuring the regulatory field, the Cartagena Protocol showed surprising strength in exploiting the remaining room for maneuver. The structure of international governance thus steers institutions with differing objectives toward a jurisdictional balance that, while reflecting existing power relations, limits the potential for conflict and frames available policy choices. Copyright (c) 2006 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Oberthür & Thomas Gehring, 2006. "Institutional Interaction in Global Environmental Governance: The Case of the Cartagena Protocol and the World Trade Organization," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 6(2), pages 1-31, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:glenvp:v:6:y:2006:i:2:p:1-31
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    Cited by:

    1. Felix Kalaba & Claire Quinn & Andrew Dougill, 2014. "Policy coherence and interplay between Zambia’s forest, energy, agricultural and climate change policies and multilateral environmental agreements," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 181-198, May.
    2. Noémie Laurens & Jean-Frédéric Morin, 2019. "Negotiating environmental protection in trade agreements: A regime shift or a tactical linkage?," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 533-556, December.
    3. Stephan Hoch & Axel Michaelowa & Aglaja Espelage & Anne-Kathrin Weber, 2019. "Governing complexity: How can the interplay of multilateral environmental agreements be harnessed for effective international market-based climate policy instruments?," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 595-613, December.
    4. Melanie van Driel & Frank Biermann & Rakhyun E. Kim & Marjanneke J. Vijge, 2022. "International organisations as ‘custodians’ of the sustainable development goals? Fragmentation and coordination in sustainability governance," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(5), pages 669-682, November.
    5. Angel Hsu & Amy J. Weinfurter & Kaiyang Xu, 2017. "Aligning subnational climate actions for the new post-Paris climate regime," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 142(3), pages 419-432, June.
    6. Sebastian Oberthür, 2009. "Interplay management: enhancing environmental policy integration among international institutions," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 371-391, November.
    7. James Hollway & Jean-Frédéric Morin & Joost Pauwelyn, 2020. "Structural conditions for novelty: the introduction of new environmental clauses to the trade regime complex," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 61-83, March.
    8. Charles Chester & William Moomaw, 2008. "A taxonomy of collaborative governance: a guide to understanding the diversity of international and domestic conservation accords," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 187-206, September.
    9. Sanderink, Lisa & Nasiritousi, Naghmeh, 2020. "How institutional interactions can strengthen effectiveness: The case of multi-stakeholder partnerships for renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    10. Olufunso A Somorin & Ingrid J Visseren-Hamakers & Bas Arts & Anne-Marie Tiani & Denis J Sonwa, 2016. "Integration through interaction? Synergy between adaptation and mitigation (REDD+) in Cameroon," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(3), pages 415-432, May.
    11. Mette Eilstrup-Sangiovanni & Oliver Westerwinter, 2022. "The global governance complexity cube: Varieties of institutional complexity in global governance," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 233-262, April.
    12. Frank Biermann & Michele Betsill & Joyeeta Gupta & Norichika Kanie & Louis Lebel & Diana Liverman & Heike Schroeder & Bernd Siebenhüner & Ruben Zondervan, 2010. "Earth system governance: a research framework," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 277-298, December.
    13. Timothy Cadman & Lauren Eastwood & Federico Lopez-Casero Michaelis & Tek N. Maraseni & Jamie Pittock & Tapan Sarker, 2015. "The Political Economy of Sustainable Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15773.
    14. Julia Morse & Robert Keohane, 2014. "Contested multilateralism," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 385-412, December.
    15. Thomas Gehring & Benjamin Faude, 2014. "A theory of emerging order within institutional complexes: How competition among regulatory international institutions leads to institutional adaptation and division of labor," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 471-498, December.
    16. Till Pistorius & Sabine Reinecke & Astrid Carrapatoso, 2017. "A historical institutionalist view on merging LULUCF and REDD+ in a post-2020 climate agreement," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 623-638, October.
    17. Matias E. Margulis, 2021. "Intervention by international organizations in regime complexes," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 871-902, October.
    18. Solberg, Birger & Bergseng, Even & Lindstad, Berit H., 2017. "Assessing national impacts of international environmental regimes for biodiversity protection and climate mitigatio in boreal forestry – Experiences from using a quantitative approach," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(P1), pages 147-160.

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