Indonesia has requested WTO dispute consultations with the European Union regarding measures adopted by the EU and its member states in the renewable energy sector relating to biofuels. The request was circulated to WTO members on 16 December.
Indonesia claims that the challenged measures affecting the access of Indonesian palm oil and oil palm crop-based biofuels to the EU market are inconsistent with the WTO’s Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.
Further information is available in document WT/DS593/1.
What is a request for consultations?
The request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations have failed to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.