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Revision with unchanged content. Procurement policies creating barriers to international trade and facing only limited coverage in the World Trade Organization. Despite effective inter national binding rules in other trade areas, efforts in this sector have not suc ceeded to reach a multilateral agreement on governmental procurement. The author critically examines the prospects of multilateral regulation in reference to the "plurilateral" WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) while focu sing on improved transparency rules which may contribute to a first broad opening of international procurement markets. Interdisciplinary ap proa ches from a point of view of economic theory and international relations theory provide the basis for the sound research. The book offers first an overview of the procurement related economic impact analyzing discrimi natory practices, rent seeking and non-transparency and second examines the achievements of cooperative behavior and prospects of a transparency regime in government procurement facilitating international competition. This book provides a unique interdisciplinary blend of analysis, a source for scholars, graduate students, economists and procurement practitioners.

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B.A. Economics and M.A.: International Relations (M.A.I.R.) at Dresden University of Technology, Germany. Area Manager, Asia.

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