2021 part 1

12/ Malaysia initiates WTO dispute complaint against EU palm oil measures

19 JANUARY 2021

Malaysia has requested WTO dispute consultations with the European Union regarding measures adopted by the EU and its member states affecting palm oil and palm crop-based biofuels. The request was circulated to WTO members on 19 January.

Malaysia claims that the challenged measures of the EU and EU member states France and Lithuania 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/DS600/1.

This is the second dispute complaint targeting the EU’s palm oil-related measures.  Indonesia initiated dispute proceedings against the EU measures in December 2019 (DS593).

This is also the 600th trade dispute brought to the WTO for settlement since the organization was established in 1995.

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.

Source: wto.org