Contracting Party

Contracting Party and the Treaties of the European Union

Description of Contracting Party provided by the European Union Commission: A contracting party is a State or an Intergovernmental Organisation or other entity with treaty making capacity that has expressed its consent to be bound by a treaty whether or not the treaty has entered into force or whether or not it has entered into force for that State or Intergovernmental Organisation.

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Popular Treaties Topics

• Treaties of the United Nations (UN)
• Types of Treaties
• International Treaties
• Famous Treaties
• Law of Treaties
• Numbered Treaties

Contracting Party and the Treaties of the European Union

Description of Contracting Party provided by the European Union Commission: A contracting party is a State or an Intergovernmental Organisation or other entity with treaty making capacity that has expressed its consent to be bound by a treaty whether or not the treaty has entered into force or whether or not it has entered into force for that State or Intergovernmental Organisation.

Resources

See Also

Popular Treaties Topics

• Treaties of the United Nations (UN)
• Types of Treaties
• International Treaties
• Famous Treaties
• Law of Treaties
• Numbered Treaties

Contracting Party (CP) and the GATT Policy Negotiations

In relation to the GATT Policy Negotiations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following explanation and/or definition of Contracting Party (CP): Formal term designating a signatory to the GATT (the term “member” of the GATT is often used informally). As signatories, contracting parties have accepted specific obligationsand benefits of the General Agreement and have agreed to follow GATT rules in conducting their trade policy. Because of the most- favored-nation principle, all CPs receive the benefits of lower tariffs and trade barriers that have been negotiated in GATT, as well as recourse to GATT procedures for settling disputes with other members. CPs need not be independent, sovereign countries –Hong Kong and Macau are GATT members, for example –but must be autonomous in setting their trade policies. When written in capital letters, “CONTRACTING PARTIES” in GATT documents refers to the collective membership of the GATT , acting jointly rather than in their individual capacities. This entity is the only legally recognized body in GATT, as the Agreement itself makes no provision for a secretariat or for any subsidiary organs.