On Tuesday, 20 February, the World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel delivered its opinion in the dispute between the EU and the United States over Spanish olives. According to the WTO, Washington still has not complied with the panel’s initial ruling and has thus continued to restrict access to Spanish olives on its market.
The European Commission called for this panel to be established in July 2023 (see EUROPE 13223/15)—almost 2 years after the WTO ruled that the American anti-dumping duties imposed on Spanish olives in 2018 were unfounded (see EUROPE 12836/17).
In its report dated 20 February, the panel recommends the United States bring itself into conformity with WTO rules. However, it does not recommend the US withdraw its contested countervailing duties, as the EU had requested.
The WTO believes that members at fault, such as Washington in this case, are free to choose how they bring themselves into conformity with the rules.
See the report: https://aeur.eu/f/axd (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)