2021 part3

36/ EU challenges Russian import substitution measures in new WTO dispute complaint

26 JULY 2021

The European Union has requested WTO dispute consultations with the Russian Federation regarding Russian measures which the EU alleges form part of an import substitution programme. The request was circulated to WTO members on 26 July.

The EU claims the measures relating to the activities of certain state-related entities, and laws and regulations regulating these activities, are inconsistent with various provisions under the WTO’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994, the General Agreement on Trade in Services, and Russia’s Protocol of Accession to the WTO.

Further information is available in document WT/DS604/1

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.

Source: wto.org