06/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of its 15th anniversary, the WTO points out that its dispute settlement mechanism has just received its 400th trade dispute. Since the WTO was created in January 1995, its 153 member countries have brought nearly 27 disputes to the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism every year. "This is surely a vote of confidence in a system which many consider to be a role model for the peaceful resolution of disputes in other areas of international political or economic relations", Director-General of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, states in a press release. Of these 400 disputes, 169 have been the subject of the constitution of a WTO panel to resolve the dispute and, in cases which have been appealed before the Appellate Body, 17 are currently in adjudication and 12 are still the subject of active consultation. It is worth noting that since 1995, the European Communities have been involved in 81 cases as a plaintiff and in 66 cases as a defendant. (E.H./transl.fl)