区域贸易协定环境条款三十年之变迁

Thirty Years Transition of Environmental Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements

由于RTAs环境条款实体法与程序法有机契合模式消除了缔约方“环境义务”和传统的“贸易义务”之间的差异,增强了环境义务在RTAs层面的法律约束力,RTAs超越MEAs及WTO成为保护环境更有效的国际条约典范。但“冲突条款”并未有效澄清MEAs与RTAs环境条款之间的条约关系,“不减损条款”及“有效执行条款”可能导致主权侵蚀风险,RTAs“环境争端解决条款”效力有待实践检验。我国应秉承可持续发展理念,正确处理MEAs与RTAs之间的条约关系,通过“一带一路”稳步推进FTAs环境条款的“中国版”,加强同发展中国家环境合作,进而构建具有中国特色的RTAs环境条款范式,从而为中国参与国际法治、推进中国式法治现代化提供坚实的理论支持。

As the organic combination of substantive law and procedural law,RTAs environmental provisions eliminate the difference between the parties“environmental obligations”and the traditional“trade obligations”,and enhance the legal binding force of environmental obligations.RTAs has surpassed MEAs the WTO as a model of international treaties more effective to protect the environment.However,the"conflict clause"has not effectively clarified the treaty relationship between MEAs and RTAs environmental clauses,and the"non-derogation clause"and"effective enforcement clause"may lead to the risk of sovereignty erosion.The effectiveness of RTAs environmental dispute settlement clause has yet to be tested in practice.China should uphold the concept of sustainable economic,social and environmental development,correctly handle the treaty relationship between MEAs and RTAs,steadily promote the"Chinese version"of FTAs environmental provisions through the"One Belt and One Road",strengthen environment cooperation with developing countries,safeguard the common interests of developing countries,and then construct the RTAs environmental clause paradigm with Chinese characteristics,so as to provide solid theoretical support for China's participation in the international rule of law and promote Chinese-style modernization of the rule of law.