Brussels, 06/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - The breakdown in settlement consultations with Argentina regarding Argentinean restrictions on EU, US and Japanese imports now means that the matter will be taken up at a panel at the WTO.
On Thursday 6 December, the Commission called on the WTO to set up a panel to rule on the dispute involving Argentinean import restrictions. The EU is taking this action, along with Japan and the United States, to force Argentina to lift these measures which have been harmful to European trade and investment for more than 18 months. The Commission explained that these measures potentially affect all EU exports to Argentina, which were worth €8.3 billion in 2011.
The EU first called on the WTO to open consultations on 25 May with Argentina regarding some of the measures it has introduced to limit imports on goods. It is disputing the declarations Argentina demands as a condition for approving imports, as well as the different kinds of licenses required for importing certain goods. The EU considers these measures incompatible with several provisions in the WTO agreements, including the GATT of 1994, the agreement on procedures for import licences and the agreement on measures regarding investment and trade. The US and Japan made separate notifications to the WTO on 21 August and called for consultations with Argentina about these same restrictions. At the end of August, Mexico also lodged an official dispute procedure (DS 446) similar to the procedures introduced by the EU (DS 438), the US (DS 444) and Japan (DS 445).
“Argentina's import restrictions violate international trade rules and harm EU exports. The consultations we held with Argentina at the World Trade Organisation did not bring any positive solution. Today's decision is also the outcome of close co-operation with the US, Japan and Mexico. It is the EU's last resort to see Argentina's unfair trade practices lifted and free and fair trade re-established according to the WTO rules to which Argentina has subscribed”, said EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht in a press release. (EH/transl.fl)