Essay from the year 2004 in the subject Environmental Sciences, grade: 1,3, Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus (Lehrstuhl für VWL, inbesondere Umweltökonomie), course: Environmental Economics, language: English, abstract: Trade and environment form a complex relationship. Current trade regulations, though addressing environmental issues, do not lead automatically to effective environmental protection. This paper examines the role of environmental aspects in global and regional trade agreements like WTO, EU, NAFTA and Mercosur. The complex patterns of global trade and its influence on our environment are presented in detail by a case study on banana production in Costa Rica and the "Banana War" between the European Union and USA.