The aim of this thesis is to clarify the affect that preferential and regional trade agreements have on the World Trade Organization (WTO), as being establisher of the international trading regime. The essay is an explanatory literature study, which strives to answer the following questions:Are regional and Preferential trade agreements a threat or a complement to the WTO?Is an undermining of the MFN principle weakening the WTO?How do regional trade agreements made by the EU affect the future of the WTO?The empirical material is to be analyzed using an explanatory framework, which is based on neo-liberal instutionalism, theories on regime changes and a game theoretical approach, using prisoner?s dilemma. I will employ the EU-ACP relation, the Cotonou agreement to exemplify how an agreement of this kind can have an influence on multilateral trade. The result shows that preferential agreements do have an impact on the WTO, one that is fairly negative in scope.

How does the recent wave of preferential trading arrangements affect, the incentives for further trade liberalization of member states, and the possibility of obtaining global free trade? And are there any differences in this aspect between custom unions and other forms of preferential trading arrangements? These questions are well debated and have divided international trade researchers into two camps, one in favour for preferential trading arrangements and the other side against them. I have used well acknowledged researchers in the area of international trade theory to make a literature study of the above mentioned key elements in the debate. When comparing the two sides I have focused mainly on their differences, assumptions and results. I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing to be alarmed by of the wave of regionalism that?s occurring in the world today, but caution should be applied and more research in this area is necessary before any certain conclusions can be drawn.

How affected are the sugar production in Mozambique and Tanzania by EU sugar regime? What does the EU sugar reform constitute in these countries?Using theories regarding free trade and anti-free trade, I am able to answer these questions. The aim of this paper is to study how the various sugar agreements with EU affect the sugar production in Mozambique and Tanzania. Therefore I am using a method called a most similar system design in this comparative case study. The conclusion is that the EU sugar regime is the main reason to how the sugar productions in developing countries are.

How affected are the sugar production in Mozambique and Tanzania by EU sugar regime? What does the EU sugar reform constitute in these countries?Using theories regarding free trade and anti-free trade, I am able to answer these questions. The aim of this paper is to study how the various sugar agreements with EU affect the sugar production in Mozambique and Tanzania. Therefore I am using a method called a most similar system design in this comparative case study. The conclusion is that the EU sugar regime is the main reason to how the sugar productions in developing countries are.

The purpose of the essay is to investigate SVT: s (Swedish Television) attitude to allocation of quotes and preferential treatment. In Sweden there is only one law, which allows preferential treatment ? the law of equal opportunities. This law prohibits discrimination between women and men. The profession of camera operator and editor have been viewed as masculine in accordance to heavy lifting and high technology, this considering being hindrance to women.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the issue of preferential rights in relation to the increased practice of hiring temporary staff. The object is illuminated from a diversity perspective by seeing what a circumvention of the preferential rights may have consequences for vulnerable groups on the Swedish labor market. The question of preferential rights to reinstatement is controlled in  The Employment Protection Act. The preferential right is for the protection of workers made redundant due to redundancy. The use of agency workers has increased significantly in the Swedish labor market since the industry's legalization in 1993. This has created some problems in terms of preferential rights. To a circumvention of the law, shall exist requires that the measures constitute circumvention is justified, measures should have been sought to circumvent the law and been unfair in view of the particular case.

The usage of temporary work agencies services is increasing in the Swedish labour market and it has also caused some problems. There have been cases where employers have been accused to circumvent the preferential right to reinstatement by using temporary agency workers rather than rehire preference eligible employees during labour need.The purpose of this thesis is to describe, analyse and enhance the understanding of the preferential rights to reinstatement and study when hiring of temporary agency workers, during the period when there is preference eligible former employees, is permitted. The method being used in this thesis has been applied with particular attention to the directives, laws, legislative history and doctrine.The preferential rights to reinstatement in 25-27 §§ of the Employment Protection Act is a protection which states that the employer has to hire employees or former dismissed employees during increased labour needs. The purpose of this right is that an employer should not be able to terminate an employee due to redundancy and then later hire new employees. An employee is entitled to the preferential right as he/she meets the criteria of the Employment Protection Act.

The relationship between free trade and the environment is often considered conflicting and the debates surrounding it are infected. My thesis deal with this conflict and how environmental concerns are integrated in three regional free trade agreements, North American Free Trade Agreement, The common market of the southern cone (MERCOSUR) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). I point out how the organizations differ from each other in this respect and I present a possible explanation to why they differ. The explanation is founded on the theory of the environmental Kuznets curve and that environmental concerns will depend on which level of development the member states in the organizations have. To judge and rank the organizations I have composed a model based on a pre-existing description of the trade and environment conflict.

To achieve the goals that the government has put in place for equal opportunities in the labour market, the Swedish law is divided into two separate regulatory frameworks. One is positive action to promote equal opportunities and the other is the prohibition of sexual discrimination. Since males, despite the measures taken so far, still have a great advantage on the labour market, the law concerning equal opportunities has an exception from the prohibition of sexual discrimination, whose purpose is to promote the progress of equal opportunities, also known as preferential treatment. The regulations concerning preferential treatment allow the employer to hire a less qualified person from an underrepresented gender in spite of the presence of higher qualified applicants of the overrepresented gender. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the meaning and the application of preferential treatment as well as to give an insight to the argumentation around its application.

Several studies have examined the effects of perceived justice of preferential treatments to customers, but few have studied these effects when customers have different input. The purpose of the study is therefore to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the effects of preferential treatments to customers with varying input. More specifically, the study focuses on how perceived justice, customer satisfaction and loyalty are affected depending on the customer's input and received treatment. An experimental study with 263 respondents showed that the perceived justice and loyalty intentions among both the receiver and the non-receiver of the preferential treatment were of highest level when it was given to a customer with large input. Customer satisfaction however, was found to be of highest level when customers themselves received preferential treatment, regardless of the size of their input.

Several studies have examined the effects of perceived justice of preferential treatments to customers, but few have studied these effects when customers have different input. The purpose of the study is therefore to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the effects of preferential treatments to customers with varying input. More specifically, the study focuses on how perceived justice, customer satisfaction and loyalty are affected depending on the customer's input and received treatment. An experimental study with 263 respondents showed that the perceived justice and loyalty intentions among both the receiver and the non-receiver of the preferential treatment were of highest level when it was given to a customer with large input. Customer satisfaction however, was found to be of highest level when customers themselves received preferential treatment, regardless of the size of their input.

Several studies have examined the effects of perceived justice of preferential treatments to customers, but few have studied these effects when customers have different input. The purpose of the study is therefore to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the effects of preferential treatments to customers with varying input. More specifically, the study focuses on how perceived justice, customer satisfaction and loyalty are affected depending on the customer's input and received treatment. An experimental study with 263 respondents showed that the perceived justice and loyalty intentions among both the receiver and the non-receiver of the preferential treatment were of highest level when it was given to a customer with large input. Customer satisfaction however, was found to be of highest level when customers themselves received preferential treatment, regardless of the size of their input.

By the time the law of preferential right was legislated the purpose of the law was to give all creditors equal rights. The purpose of this master?s thesis is to analyze the law in force and unravel whether the purpose of the law has been fulfilled or not. If a deviation has been made I will decide whether it can be justified.Since 1st of January 2004 the preferential right regarding taxes has been abolished. Since then the claims of the Government do not have any preferential right.

EC and WTO have been prosecuting collaboration for some time, which purpose is to liberalize the global market for commerce. There have been some alterations under the last decades. Establishing in other countries than their own is far easier, nevertheless it is getting more difficult. The enterprises demand equal treatment and the countries want to have the most favourable legislation. This has resulted in conflicts between different countries and even between the companies.

After the last European Union expansion the east European countries became members of the European Union. This meant that they would become apart of the Schengen agreement and that they would be able to travel, live and work anywhere in Europe. This came as a shock tothe Scandinavian trade unions that were worried that work migration would escalate, and that it would lead to social dumping, which would make the working conditions worse for the native workers. .The Swedish labour market is build up by the principal of negotiations. The evolution of the labour laws comes from the rules and regulations of collective agreements.The Lex Britannia principal was made to regulate the working conditions for guest workers in Sweden, by making it possible for trade unions to take industrial action against foreign companies to make them sign a Swedish collective agreement.Even though Swedish labour law includes an obligation to maintain industrial peace it is not valid for foreign companies.