• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.111-130
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• 2018

In December 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted to cope with global warming caused by greenhouse gas emission and to prevent the average temperature of the Earth from rising. Renewable energy sources have become important to address environmental problems such as rising sea levels, depletion of forests and fine dust. In order to grow renewable energy, government support is needed. However, excessive government support for the renewable energy industry could pose problems that include undermining fair competition and raising costs. The WTO already has heard cases involving renewable energy subsidies. This article focuses on subsidies and countervailing tariffs as well as examines WTO disputes related to renewable subsidies, and also analyze legal issues that are problematic in granting subsidies for the development of new renewable energy industries. In WTO dispute involving renewable energy subsidies, legal issues are SCM Agreement article 2 Specificity, article 3 (b) import substitution subsidy and GATT article 20. This paper proposes improvement measures such as the reintroduction of article 8 Non-Actionable Subsidies or special provisions on energy subsidy. In addition, it is necessary to clarify the interpretation of Article 3 of the subsidy agreement. However, excessive government subsidies can lead to trade friction, so the WTO rules should be improved in line with the WTO goals of environmental protection, equity in free trade, and sustainable development.