The creation of the GATS was one of the important milestones of the Uruguay Round, the results of which entered into force in January 1995. The GATS is essentially based on the same objectives as its merchandise trade counterpart, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT): to create a credible and reliable system of international trade rules; ensure fair and equitable treatment of all participants (principle of non-discrimination); stimulate economic activity through guaranteed political links; Promote trade and development through progressive liberalization. Exceptions are possible in the form of so-called exceptions within the meaning of Article II. Members were allowed to request such exemptions before the entry into force of the agreement. New waivers may be granted to new Members only at the time of accession or, in the case of existing Members, by way of a waiver under Article IX(3) of the WTO Agreement. All exceptions are subject to review; in principle, they should not last more than 10 years. In addition, the GATS allows groups of members to conclude economic integration agreements or mutually recognize regulatory standards, quotas, etc., if certain conditions are met. Among the first GATT members, Syria[19],[20], Lebanon[21] and the Yugoslavian RSF did not rejoin the WTO. Since the FR yugoslavia (renamed Serbia and Montenegro and divided into two parts with subsequent accession negotiations) is not recognised as the direct successor state to the SFRJ; therefore, its application is considered a new application (and not a new application of the GATT). On 4 May 2010, the WTO General Council agreed to establish a working group to examine Syria`s application for wto membership.

[22] [23] On the 31st. In December 1995, the formal agreement on the terms of GATT 1947 was terminated. Montenegro became a member in 2012, while Serbia is in the decision-making phase of the negotiations and is expected to become a member of the WTO in the future. One of the most important achievements of GATT has been trade without discrimination. Each signatory member of the GATT was to be assimilated to all the others. This is called the most-favoured-nation principle and it has been adopted in the WTO. In practice, it follows that once a country has negotiated a tariff reduction with other countries (usually its main trading partners), the same reduction automatically applies to all GATT signatories. There were substitution clauses that allowed countries to negotiate exemptions if their domestic producers were particularly harmed by tariff reductions. In particular, the objective of facilitating the increasing participation of developing countries in trade in services was enshrined in the preamble to the Agreement and underpins the provisions of Article IV. This Article requires, inter alia, Members to negotiate specific commitments relating to the strengthening of the domestic service capacities of developing countries; improving developing countries` access to distribution channels and information networks; and liberalization of market access in the export interest areas of those countries.

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