© 2002 by Oxford University Press
Reviewing the GPA: The Role and Development of the Plurilateral Agreement After Doha
1 The Public Procurement Research Group, University of Nottingham, UK
The plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) is currently undergoing a review, the first phase of which seeks to simplify and improve the GPA text. This article sets out proposals for achieving these objectives of simplification and improvement. It argues that, despite recent multilateral initiatives, the GPA will remain the WTO's most important instrument on government procurement, and that attracting new members is thus an important perspective for the review. Further, many of the reforms that could attract new members are also necessary to ensure an appropriate balance between free trade rules and domestic sovereignty.