30/04/2020 (Agence Europe) – The EU and 15 other WTO Members have formally notified their 'Multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement' ('MPIA') to the multilateral organisation (see EUROPE 12467/31, 12456/5). A step that marks the beginning of the MPIA's work on existing disputes between the 16 participating members, and time to resolve the paralysis of the WTO Appellate Body (AB). The sixteen members will now set about establishing a team of ten referees to decide on future appeals, within 3 months, according to a press release. Referees called upon to answer specific appeals will be drawn from this group. The MPIA will operate within the framework of the WTO, based on a provision of the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (Article 25). (HD)