WTI sponsors the ELSA Moot Court Competition on WTO Law

The ELSA Moot Court Competition (EMC²) is a simulated hearing of the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system. It is organised annually by ELSA and open to teams from all over the world. Competitor teams represent both the complainant and respondent parties to the case by handing in written submissions and by presenting oral submissions in front of a panel. EMC² panels consist of WTO law experts. The competition provides students with the opportunity to put theory into practice.

There are Regional Selection Rounds on various continents (Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America and Latin America) as well as an International Written Round. The two European Regional Rounds have already taken place: in Vilnius, Lithuania from 9 to 13 March 2011 and in Cluj-Napoca, Rumania from 16 to 20 March 2011. Both rounds were very well organised by the local ELSA groups. The four best teams from each of the Regional Rounds will participate in the Final Oral Round which will be held in Evian, France and Geneva, Switzerland from 23 to 29 May 2011. The World Trade Institute is proud that the University of Bern team, which was trained jointly by the Institute of European and International Economic Law and the World Trade Institute, was among the winning teams in its Regional Round.

The World Trade Institute will award the winning team of the Final Oral Round with a scholarship for its entire Summer Academy on Trade and Investment Law and Policy which will take place from 4 July to 5 August 2011. In each Regional Round the World Trade Institute has awarded the team which submitted the best written submission with a scholarship for one WTI Summer Academy week or a week on its Master of International Law and Economics Programme (MILE), a so-called “MILE à la carte” week. The winners also have the opportunity to use the prize as a tuition waiver for the entire MILE Programme.