Brussels, 27/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - On 21 April, the WTO Disputes Settlement Body (DSB) set up a single panel to rule on complaints made by Canada and Norway against EU measures aimed at prohibiting the import and marketing of seal derived products (DS 341). As Ottawa and Oslo denounce the same measures taken by the EU, a single group of experts has been called on to settle this dispute.
On 21 April, Norway again informed the DSB that it considered the European embargo was in contravention of international trade rules. The EU has argued that Norway failed to prove the veracity of its argument during the consultations and also pointed out that the WTO was not an appropriate forum to discuss Norway's concerns, adding that the seal regulation fell within the scope of the European Economic Area agreement. Canada said it had long made efforts to ensure that the seal hunt was humane, well managed and sustainable. Iceland said that this dispute was not just about seal products but was also related to the sustainable utilisation of all living marine resources and the right to market the products coming from such legitimate practices. Iceland added that there were no justifiable grounds for the EU's ban. Columbia, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Iceland, China, Canada, Argentina, Ecuador, Namibia and the US reserved their third-party rights.
Regulation 1007/2009/EC imposes a total ban on imports and the marketing of seal derived products, although it does contain exemptions for the marketing of products that come from indigenous hunting (Inuit community) and hunting carried out on a small scale. The marketing of non-profit seal derived products could also be approved if this kind of hunting is exclusively aimed at the sustainable management of fish stocks. Products used for medical research may also obtain authorisation. Canada and Norway submitted separate appeals in November 2009 at the WTO, following the definitive adoption of the regulation in September that year. The consultations that followed were unsuccessful. (E.H./trans.fl)