Brussels, 26/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - At the request of the EU, a special group has been set in place to rule on the legality of the recycling tax imposed by Russia on imported cars.
At its meeting of 26 November, the dispute settlement body of the WTO set in place a panel of experts to take position on the EU's complaint against the recycling tax on imported vehicles brought in on 1 September 2012 by Russia (DS 462). The panel has six months to return its verdict.
After months of fruitless bilateral discussions, the EU opened a procedure at the WTO on 9 July, requesting consultations. Japan did the same on 24 July. However, after these consultations broke down, the EU applied for a panel to be set up on 10 October. Its first application, which it made on 22 October, was rejected by Russia, but the country was unable to block a second request.
The tax in question can be between €420 and €2,700 for a new car and between €2,600 and €17,200 for vehicles aged more than three years. Vehicles produced in Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus are exempt from this tax. The tax was amended at the Duma in October to apply to all vehicles, whether or not they are imported. The amendment has yet to be approved by the Council of the Federation, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, in order to enter into force on 1 January 2014. (EH/transl.fl)