§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the World Trade Organisation forbids states from taking pre-emptive measures to prevent bio-invasions, whether animal or vegetable. [HL11]
§ Lord DonoughueThe World Trade Organisation Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures gives WTO members the right to take measures necessary for the protection of human, animal or plant life or health provided that these are based on scientific principles and are not maintained without sufficient scientific evidence. In cases where relevant scientific information is insufficient, members may provisionally adopt measures on the basis of available pertinent information, but must seek to obtain the additional information necessary for a more objective assessment of risk and review the measure accordingly within a reasonable period of time.