The institutional structure the Ministerial Conference the General Council The Dispute Settlement Body The Secretariat and the Director General The panels and the Appellate Body

The shortfalls of the system lack of participation by developing countries and civil society green room negotiations the consensus technique the “WTO plus” and accession of new countries

The main principles The most favoured nation principle National treatment Schedules of concession Custom valuation Prohibition of quantitative restrictions Principles about custom unions and FTAs

The dispute settlement system Panels Appellate Body The inverted consensus technique The implementation phase and the imposition of countermeasures The limits of the system: the absence of compensation and cross-retaliation (countermeasures in sectors different from the one object of the dispute)

The normative power normative power is very limited and trade relations are mainly managed through negotiations ex: Uruguay Round decision on trade and environment exception: the decision about TRIPs and access to essential medicines and the amendment of the TRIPs agreement