Rules for Digital Trade: the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA)
Today, the world is going through unprecedented changes: as a result of the rapid development of digital technologies, various areas of life are currently undergoing a radical transformation. The methods of manufacturing, consumption and distribution of goods and services are being improved at an ever-increasing pace, curbing trade expenses and making economic relations more efficient.
However, the successful development of technology does not automatically herald an advancement of human well-being, a dynamic increase in trade and the achievement of the necessary level of economic growth. It is crucial to learn how to manage the structural changes fuelled by the development of technology. These changes are cross-border in nature and, therefore, demand a response on the inter-state level.
An efficient way for states to manage these structural changes is by entering into agreements with other countries envisaging new approaches to international trade in the setting of a digital economy. Until recently, such arrangements had largely contained fragmented rules of electronic commerce not capable of serving as a model of effective regulation.
Yet, the situation has changed dramatically since the introduction of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), signed by the Republic of Chile, New Zealand and the Republic of Singapore on June 11, 2020. The document encompasses pre-existing best practices and determines the thrust of development.
The International and Comparative Law Research Center in this study examines the DEPA, seen as a cutting edge agreement in the area of digital trade and economy, in order to give momentum to the subsequent evolution of corresponding regulations, including those involving Russia in the context of its membership in the EAEU. While working on this study, we aimed to determine the factors underlying the introduction of the agreement, one of a new generation in this sphere; analyze the modular approach of the DEPA as a special drafting technique fitting its aims; and provide an overview of the rules agreed upon by the Parties.
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Areas of professional expertise: Education In 2008, Aleksei graduated from the IKBFU (Kaliningrad). In 2013, he obtained an LL.M. degree with a specialization in international law from the University of Göttingen (Germany). He also completed an exchange semester at the University of Kiel (Germany). In 2024, the degree of Doctor of Law (Dr. jur.) was awarded following the defence of the dissertation at the University of Göttingen. The dissertation was written in the field of international law (“The Right to Regulate in International Economic Law: Towards a General Theory with Lessons from the GATS” In 2016, Aleksei received the “International Law in the 21st Century” Award from the ICLRC. The previous year, the Society of International Economic Law highly commended his paper on WTO law in an essay competition on international economic law. Professional Experience From 2016 to 2017, Aleksei worked as a research assistant at the Institute of International and European Law at the University of Göttingen. Later, Aleksei joined the WTO Expertise Center in Moscow, where he handled inter-State trade disputes from 2017 to 2019. He was a member of the litigation team that achieved the first win in a WTO dispute initiated by Russia. Aleksei participated in over ten inter-State disputes, including panel and Appellate Body proceedings, representing complainants, respondents and third parties. He also took part in WTO committee meetings and conducted practical seminars on trade law for representatives of government agencies and large businesses. Aleksei has developed and taught law courses at three universities in both Russian and English. In 2022, he joined the School of International Law at the Faculty of Law of the Higher School of Economics (Moscow) as an Associate Professor, where he teaches subjects related to public international law. Before joining the ICLRC, Aleksei worked with the Center as an expert, and in 2020, he officially became part of the team, focusing on issues linked to public international law.