FROM GATT TO WTO

The authors consider historical models, causes and economically-political presumptions, and development of globalization process of foreign trade liberalization from the end of World War II to present times. They analyze organizational aspects of this process of liberalization as well as its structural shifts, inclusion of services, intellectual property rights and problems of human environment protection in the process of global liberalization. It is shown the admittance procedure of Croatia into the WTO membership and analyzed initiating difficulties and long-term advantages this membership brings. The authors pointout the necessisty of further reforms and adjustments of economic system of a country to regulations and demands of WTO, and conclude that this process does not have real alternative because Croatia is a “small” country which realizes more than 60 percent of its gross domestic product in foreign trade.