Brussels, 31/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - European sources have indicated that on Monday the WTO confirmed the verdict it reached in the middle of last September: the US Boeing aircraft manufacturer had benefited from “generous and illegal” aid.
According to the European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, the decision made on 31 January by the WTO on the EU complaint against the US (DS 353) confirms that the US Boeing aircraft manufacturer had received, “generous and illegal state subsidies for many decades and that they have had a significant and ongoing negative impact on the European industry”. Airbus stated in a press release that the final report is expected to demonstrate that Boeing “would not have been able to launch the 787 Dream Liner (for long-haul flights) without illegal subsidies” and had benefited from at least $5 billion in taxpayers' money, which was judged illegal by the WTO. The European aircraft manufacturer also declared that they expected the WTO to declare that the billions paid to Boeing in the form of subsidies had had a much more serious effect in terms of market distortion than the reimbursable loans made to Airbus. The staff of Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht also provided assurances on Monday that the WTO had confirmed the judgement it made last September on aid to Boeing.
According to WTO rules, this report will remain confidential for a number of months, until it is translated into the three languages of the organisation. The different parties will then have 60 days to make an appeal. This verdict, as well as the verdict on the complaint by the US against subsidies granted by the EU to Airbus (DS 316) is expected to compel the two transatlantic partners to find a negotiated settlement. (E.H./transl.fl)