The crisis of the multilateral trade system: gradual disintegration or natural evolution?
The crisis of the multilateral trade system: gradual disintegration or natural evolution?
Aim of the project
The objective of this project is to use the case of the multilateral trading system – as embodied by the WTO – to illuminate the discussion on the crisis of multilateralism, its character, potential consequences, and the possible ways in which it may be dealt with. In this context, the project intends to address the following general research questions: (a) what is the nature of the current crisis of the multilateral trade system (i.e. the WTO)? How serious is it in terms of the various functions that are performed by the WTO? (b) What are the reasons behind the crisis? Is it a reflection of the shift in American trade policy, some deeper geopolitical reconfiguration that is taking place at the international level, or rather dysfunctionalities that exist within the system, or some combination of all three? (c) How can the crisis can be addressed? How does one deal with the deeper process of the progressive regionalization of international trade relations within the multilateral system?
Project impact
It is vital to understand the nature of the changes that are currently taking place as they will have a direct impact on the shape of the governance structures in the future. The significance of the project is not, however, limited to this theoretical dimension, but also extends to the practical operation of the system. International trade constitutes a foundational pillar of the contemporary globalized world. Trade flows, global value chains, and investment decisions are greatly determined by the legal architecture of the system. Consequently, it is not possible to understand certain global economic processes without first enquiring into the legal framework that creates the system (and which is currently evolving). Last but not least, the project relates to an area which is currently a subject of significant changes. Due to the recent and on-going character of these developments, the field remains under-investigated, with many lacunae to be filled in, thus creating very interesting intellectual challenges and opportunities for scholars.
Professor, Head of the Department of International Law and EU Law at Kozminski University, attorney-at-law, and specialist in international economic law and international public health law.
He obtained his PhD from the European University Institute in Florence and his habilitation (DSc) from the Institute of Law Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). In 2025, he received the title of Full Professor. He has completed numerous international research fellowships, including at the University of Cambridge, the University of Michigan, Péter Pázmány Catholic University, and the National University of Public Service. He is a winner of six National Science Centre competitions and currently supervises a research project under the Preludium Bis program. He cooperates on a permanent basis with the Institute for Legal Studies within the Centre for Social Sciences at ELTE in Budapest.
He holds a number of prestigious expert and international functions, including: member of the Legal Advisory Committee to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU arbitrator for Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) in trade disputes conducted under bilateral free trade agreements, representative of Poland in the High Council of the European University Institute, and member of the ILA Committee on International Law and Public Health.
He is the author of numerous monographs, including those published by Oxford University Press, and articles in leading international scientific journals. He is the co-author (with M. Menkes) of the only textbook on international economic law available on the Polish market. He also serves as the Managing Editor of the English-language annual Polish Yearbook of International Law.