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Biodiversity, EU Pesticides Law, and Trade : Deconstructing World Trade Organization Delegates’ Concerns through a Human Rights Lens

Musselli, Irene and Ituarte-Lima, Claudia LU (2026) In Transnational Environmental Law
Abstract

The European Union (EU) is implementing unilateral trade restrictions on imports that contain residues of pesticides banned for use within its borders. Several Latin American (LA) countries, among other EU trading partners, have criticized these measures, leading to a contentious debate that could escalate into a trade dispute before the World Trade Organization (WTO). This article aims to unpack this seemingly polarized debate by reevaluating the trade concerns raised by LA WTO delegates through a human rights lens. It highlights the disconnect between trade policy positions and human rights commitments concerning pesticides, revealing a bias among WTO delegates in favour of commercial interests, often at the expense of broader... (More)

The European Union (EU) is implementing unilateral trade restrictions on imports that contain residues of pesticides banned for use within its borders. Several Latin American (LA) countries, among other EU trading partners, have criticized these measures, leading to a contentious debate that could escalate into a trade dispute before the World Trade Organization (WTO). This article aims to unpack this seemingly polarized debate by reevaluating the trade concerns raised by LA WTO delegates through a human rights lens. It highlights the disconnect between trade policy positions and human rights commitments concerning pesticides, revealing a bias among WTO delegates in favour of commercial interests, often at the expense of broader societal and ecological concerns raised by human rights-holders in both LA and the EU. The article suggests procedural innovations at both the national and WTO levels that could broaden the trade policy discussion on pesticides, aligning it with human rights standards and urgent collective action for biodiversity stewardship.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
Democratic deficit WTO, Human right to a healthy environment, Pesticides, Trade and environment, Trade and human rights, World Trade Organization (WTO)
in
Transnational Environmental Law
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:105026956517
ISSN
2047-1025
DOI
10.1017/S2047102525100150
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
46a5b599-8b61-494b-ba45-f7f60f0c5c37
date added to LUP
2026-03-26 10:57:23
date last changed
2026-03-26 10:57:34
@article{46a5b599-8b61-494b-ba45-f7f60f0c5c37,
  abstract     = {{<p>The European Union (EU) is implementing unilateral trade restrictions on imports that contain residues of pesticides banned for use within its borders. Several Latin American (LA) countries, among other EU trading partners, have criticized these measures, leading to a contentious debate that could escalate into a trade dispute before the World Trade Organization (WTO). This article aims to unpack this seemingly polarized debate by reevaluating the trade concerns raised by LA WTO delegates through a human rights lens. It highlights the disconnect between trade policy positions and human rights commitments concerning pesticides, revealing a bias among WTO delegates in favour of commercial interests, often at the expense of broader societal and ecological concerns raised by human rights-holders in both LA and the EU. The article suggests procedural innovations at both the national and WTO levels that could broaden the trade policy discussion on pesticides, aligning it with human rights standards and urgent collective action for biodiversity stewardship.</p>}},
  author       = {{Musselli, Irene and Ituarte-Lima, Claudia}},
  issn         = {{2047-1025}},
  keywords     = {{Democratic deficit WTO; Human right to a healthy environment; Pesticides; Trade and environment; Trade and human rights; World Trade Organization (WTO)}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Transnational Environmental Law}},
  title        = {{Biodiversity, EU Pesticides Law, and Trade : Deconstructing World Trade Organization Delegates’ Concerns through a Human Rights Lens}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S2047102525100150}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S2047102525100150}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}