Brussels, 06/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - Following Canada's lead this Monday, on Thursday 5 November Norway formally requested the opening of consultations at the WTO over the EU-wide ban on the trade in whale-derived products. "We are of the opinion that the EU's decision runs counter to WTO rules on a number of points. We will not sit back and just allow this to happen", stressed the head of Norwegian diplomacy, Jonas Gahr Stoere, in a press release. A Community regulation adopted at the end of July bans the trade and import of whale products in all 27 member states, starting from the next hunting season in 2010. Nonetheless, it provides a derogation for whale products from traditional hunting methods used by the Inuit and other indigenous communities for which hunting is a subsistence activity. The consultations, which constitute the first stage of the dispute settlement process of the WTO, could last up to 60 days, before a panel is set in place to resolve the dispute in the event that the consultations break down. (E.H./transl.fl)