10/07/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 10 July, Member States' ambassadors to the European Union (Coreper) validated, without debate, the negotiating directives submitted by the European Commission with a view to identifying a plan B to address the impending paralysis of the Appellate Body (AB) of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism (see EUROPE 12271/16, 12264/16). Washington still refuses to accept the appointment of new judges, so the number of judges will be reduced to a minimum on 10 December 2019 and the AB will no longer be able to carry out its functions. The proposed interim procedure reproduces as closely as possible the aspects of the rules and procedures governing dispute settlement in the WTO, in particular the binding nature and two-tiered nature of the mechanism. The date of adoption of the text by the EU Council is not yet known and it is unclear whether the final document will be made public. (HD)