Brussels, 19/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 18 June, the EU blocked Russia's complaint at the WTO regarding duties imposed by the EU on certain Russian exports - including ammonium nitrate and steel products. The EU imposed these duties on the grounds that Russian industries benefit from lower energy prices.
Russia took the issue to the WTO on 23 December (see EUROPE 10991). After the failure of bilateral consultations, Moscow is calling for a panel to be set up in order to rule on this case (DS 474). As provided for in the WTO rules, the EU has blocked Russia's request for an arbitration panel to be set up to rule on the dispute. While it can block the first request for a panel to be set up, a member country targeted by a complaint cannot, however, oppose a second request.
Russia believes that the EU's administrative procedures in this case, as well as its methodology and practice for calculating the dumping margin in its anti-dumping investigations against certain products imported from Russia (including ammonium nitrate, and steel tubes and pipes) are not in line, on several counts, with the obligations under several WTO agreements. In Moscow's view, Russian industries have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of damage per year due to the energy corrections applied by the EU to several sectors - including metallurgy and chemicals (especially fertiliser). Russia contests 17 measures, introduced between 1995 and 2012, which affect Russian exporters. (EH)