I am currently following various lines of research which I can only briefly sketch here (I don’t want to lose viewers already in the very first page of the site!).
reforming international subsidy disciplines
Building up on my previous research, and drawing on historical and comparative elements, I want to explore how current international subsidy disciplines could be reformed. The scope of the exercise concentrates on substantive, procedural, institutional and governance elements, as well as on the process through which law reform can be conducted. Despite the clearly difficult an uncertain geopolitical situation, there are interesting factors (such as the recently launched Subsidy platform) that indicate that there is a willingness to do something. I want to explore these seeds and capitalize on them!
the evolution of PTAs: towards a common law of international trade?
This strand of research concentrates on the analysis of the developments of international trade law and policy with a specific focus on preferential trade agreements (PTAs) and unilateral actions. One hypothesis I am testing is whether one can identify the development of one (or more) common law(s) stemming out from these trade agreements. Should this hypothesis be confirmed, one key question is what this ius commune can tell us about the broader development of the law in the area.
Building on my recent empirical work for the World Bank, I am currently focusing on the chapters regulating state subsidies and state enterprises. I may soon extend the analysis to competition chapters (and others).
EU trade policy: Prometheus in action
Another line of research focuses specifically on the development of EU trade policy, in all its various forms and aspects, on how EU policies impact other jurisdictions and markets extraterritoriality and, in turn, on how these policies are related to the “internal” side of the EU internal market.
international and EU trade and sustainability
This strand of research builds on my long-standing interest in the interplay between international trade law and policy on the one hand and sustainability objectives and concerns on the other, specifically with respect to energy and climate change.
post-Brexit UK and international trade: a case-study
Brexit UK offers a very salient case-study of a major economy that has “disintegrated” from the most advanced economic and political experiment in contemporary times (i.e. the EU and its internal market) and is trying to square the circle, by re-tuning its trade (and beyond) relationship with the EU and finding its place in global trade relations. My specific focus is on level playing field considerations and on subsidies in particular.
legal historical analysis: trade and competition laws
As explained elsewhere in the site, I have a strong interest in analyzing key legal issues also from a legal historical perspective. I am in particular conducing historical research on subsidy and state aid laws and on the law of state enterprises. I, however, indent apply this specific lens to many other fields of research.
normativity in international law
This project explores the concept of normativity in various regimes of international law – trade law, humanitarian law, criminal law, human rights law, the law of sustainability. The key underlying hypothesis is that we have different concepts of normativity. The image of a caleidoscope helps in visualising this diversity in effect and impact. The analysis aims at reshaping the idea of normativity and the conception of international law (and law) itself.
the future of the world trading system
This project aims to analyse the future of the world trading system and multilateralism in trade. It is known that the WTO, the main institution regulating trade, is in deep crisis. The rule-book has not been updated since its inception in 1995. As a consequence, law-making is taking place largely outside the WTO which has lost its role as place of deliberation leading to innovations. The Doha Round of Negotiations, started in November 2001, is substantially dead. The US, one of the key countries that founded it, are increasingly disengaged from the WTO and multilateralism in general. They have suspended the payment of their fees since 2024. They are always vocal about the inadequacy of the WTO in meeting current challenges and US interests. Their veto to the appointment of new members of the Appellate Body has essentially meant the demise of this unique appeal level of judicature in international law in 2019. National security has increasingly been invoked to justify trade restrictions and forced the WTO dispute settlement to adjudicate on the very difficult and controversial Article XXI of the GATT (the provision that was not really intended to be applied, or at least sparingly.) Most recently, with the advent of the second Trump administration, even adherence to the most basic tariff commitments and the crucial MFN principle have been put aside. In a tit-for-tat countries are resorting to counter-measures and public international law and its remedies have become the de facto default regulation of trade relations. This project will breakdown all forces shaping the crises of the WTO and attempt to identify a new foundational political and legal arrangement that could resurrect the crucial role that a multilateral institution should play in the trading system.
the rise and fall of the WTO Appellate Body within an international law perspective
I am currently analysing the evolution of dispute settlement within the world trading system – since the 1940s GATT negotiations up to now – with a special focus on the emergence, development and eventually demise of the Appellate Body. I am particularly interested in the factors that led to this demise and in continuously situating the key features of the body of law that has been significantly shaped by the AB jurisprudence as well as the quasi-judicial function carried out by the AB within the broader international law perspective. Key points of attention will focus on the design of dispute settlement, on the approach to legal interpretation, legal remedies, on compliance and the role of law (as shaped by the AB) in contributing to the development of World Trade Law.
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