Further to unsuccessful bilateral consultation at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on lifting the Russian embargo on European pigmeat, the European Union trusts that the dispute settlement body will look at Russian compliance with a WTO regulation.
During a meeting of the above body, in Geneva on Monday 29 October, the European representative called for a special “compliance panel” to be created in order to examine measures implemented by Moscow to uphold its WTO obligations.
The dispute related to the health embargo imposed by Russia since January 2014 on imports of live pigs and pigmeat from the EU. The embargo was condemned by the WTO in March 2017. As Russia did not, however, comply with the decision reached by the dispute settlement body, the EU called for consultation to be opened with Moscow in February 2018 (see EUROPE 11958). That consultation proved ineffective, the EU says.
The European request to set up a special panel was directly rejected by Russia. The Russian representative argued that the decision reached by the dispute settlement body had been applied within the given timeframe.
It is likely the EU will submit a second request during the next meeting of the dispute settlement body, scheduled for 21 November 2018. In this case, that body will approve it and the special compliance panel will be established. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)