Legal and Practical aspects of the Palestinian National Authority joining the WTO

Since 1997, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has expressed an interest in getting observer status in the WTO; this has been a step which paves the way to getting full membership in the organization. Here, the question which shall be addressed is “Does the PA possess a legal readiness which meets the accession requirements in terms of its control over Palestine’s trade policy, on the one hand, and the existence of the regulations, laws and legislations which are compatible with the requirements of the accession to the WTO as well as its multilateral agreements held, on the other hand? The most important issues are outlined as follows: • The extent of the ability of the PA to enact economic laws, contributing to the creation of a legal environment that is able to respond to the rapid changes which distinguish the economic sector. • The extent of the ability of the PA to enact laws that are compatible with each other, as well as with international trade standards and the WTO’s rules and requirements. • The extent of the ability of the PA to terminate or amend the Paris Economic Protocol, which limits Palestine’s control over its foreign trade policy.