The recent WTO dispute case, Korea–Import Bans, and Testing and Certification Requirements for Radionuclides, illustrates complex legal issues and significant political implications associated with the regulatory autonomy of a sovereign country under the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). There has been constant tension between the sovereign right of a WTO member state to determine its own appropriate level of protection (ALOP) and the regulatory constraints imposed under the SPS Agreement to prevent abuse and disguised trade protection. The case emerged from this tension and raises questions on the extent of the regulatory autonomy in the application of an SPS measure. This article addresses these questions and examines the criteria for the qualitative standards for the ALOP, the question that the Appellate Body decision did not fully resolve. The criteria for the qualitative ALOP standards affect the regulatory autonomy significantly under the current SPS rules as they determine the manner and the extent to which a Member may meet the sensitive public interests in the application of an SPS measure. The article proposes a rational basis test to restrain abuse of SPS measures while preserving the regulatory autonomy protected under the SPS Agreement.

中文翻译：

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WTO 卫生和植物检疫措施协定下的监管自主权：韩国进口禁令的影响以及放射性核素的检测和认证要求

最近的WTO争端案，韩国——放射性核素的进口禁令、测试和认证要求，说明了与主权国家根据 WTO 卫生和植物检疫措施协议（SPS 协议）的监管自主权相关的复杂法律问题和重大政治影响。WTO 成员国确定其自身适当保护水平 (ALOP) 的主权与 SPS 协议为防止滥用和变相贸易保护而施加的监管限制之间一直存在紧张关系。该案例从这种紧张局势中浮现出来，并提出了关于在应用 SPS 措施时监管自主权的程度的问题。本文解决了这些问题，并审查了 ALOP 的定性标准，上诉机构的决定并未完全解决这个问题。定性 ALOP 标准的标准显着影响了当前 SPS 规则下的监管自主权，因为它们决定了成员在应用 SPS 措施时满足敏感公共利益的方式和程度。文章提出了一个合理的基础测试，以限制 SPS 措施的滥用，同时保留受 SPS 协议保护的监管自主权。