论服务跨境提供中的“禁止要求当地存在规则”--兼论对我国服务市场开放的启示

On the Rule of Prohibition of Local Presence Requirements in Cross-Border Supply of Services--An Implication on Opening China’s Services Market

"禁止要求当地存在规则"源于服务贸易协定对本地化措施的规制演进,是NAFTA型服务贸易协定缔约方在跨境服务贸易领域应遵循的核心义务之一,其与国民待遇、市场准入、国内监管条款存在不同程度的交叉关系。允许服务跨境提供而不必设立当地存在有助于降低外国服务提供者的成本负担,加速其融入全球价值链并促进电子商务与数字贸易发展。上海市政府发布的《中国(上海)自由贸易试验区跨境服务贸易特别管理措施(负面清单)(2018年)》规定未纳入负面清单的当地存在要求应按照"内外一致原则"管理具有进步性,但与"禁止要求当地存在规则"仍存在差距。应在全面梳理我国服务贸易协定具体承诺和国内法规基础上,结合监管目标和监管能力等因素综合确定我国现有和未来可采取的当地存在要求的存废,并在修订我国服务贸易国内法规和对外商签服务贸易协定时择机引入"禁止要求当地存在规则"。确定暂予保留的当地存在要求应纳入负面清单,并完善跨境服务贸易负面清单管理制度。对于不予采取当地存在要求的服务,也应加强监管能力建设和国际监管合作。

The rule of prohibition of local presence requirements,deriving from the evolving regulatory history of localization measures by services trade agreements,is one of the core obligations of contracting parties in the cross-border trade in services under NAFTA-template services trade agreements,and overlaps to some extent with provisions of market access,national treatment and domestic regulation.It’s beneficial to reduce foreign services suppliers’burden of costs,accelerate them to integrate into global value chains and facilitate the development of e-commerce and digital trade by allowing services to be provided cross borders without having to establish a local presence.It’s progressive that,according to the Special Administrative Measures(Negative List)for Cross-Border Trade in Services in the China(Shanghai)Pilot Free Trade Zone(2018)released by Shanghai Municipal Government,local presence requirements beyond the Negative List shall be managed in accordance with national treatment principle.However,gaps remain between the Negative list and the rule of prohibition of local presence requirements.It’s suggested,therefore,based on China’s commitments under its services trade agreements and domestic regulations,to either abolish or maintain China’s existing or future local presence requirements after considering its regulatory objectives and capacity,and to timely introduce the rule of prohibition of local presence requirements into the modification of its domestic regulations and negotiation of services trade agreements.Local presence requirements to be maintained shall be listed in the Negative List while the corresponding management regimes of cross-border trade in services shall also be improved.For local presence requirements not to be adopted in the future,regulatory capacity building and international regulatory cooperation shall be enhanced.