DS: European Communities — Measures Affecting Importation of Certain Poultry Products

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Current status

 

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Key facts

 

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Latest document

  

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Summary of the dispute to date

The summary below was up-to-date at

Consultations

Complaint by Brazil.

On 24 February 1997, Brazil requested consultations with the EC in respect of the EC regime for the importation of certain poultry products and the implementation by the EC of the Tariff Rate Quota for these products. Brazil contended that the EC measures are inconsistent with Articles X and XXVII of GATT 1994 and Articles 1 and 3 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures. Brazil also contended that the measures nullify or impair benefits accruing to it directly or indirectly under GATT 1994.

On 12 June 1997, Brazil requested the establishment of a panel. At its meeting on 25 June 1997, the DSB deferred the establishment of a panel.

 

Panel and Appellate Body proceedings

Further to a second request to establish a panel by Brazil, the DSB established a panel at its meeting on 30 July 1997. Thailand and the US reserved their third-party rights. On 11 August 1997, the Panel was composed. The report of the Panel was circulated to Members on 12 March 1998. The panel found that Brazil had not demonstrated that the EC had failed to implement and administer the tariff rate quota for poultry in line with its obligations under the cited agreements.

On 29 April 1998, Brazil notified its intention to appeal certain issues of law and legal interpretations developed by the Panel. The report of the Appellate Body was circulated to Members on 13 July 1998. The Appellate Body upheld most of the Panel's findings and conclusions, but reversed the Panel's finding that the EC had acted inconsistently with Article 5.1(b) of the Agreement on Agriculture. The Appellate Body, however, concluded that the EC had acted inconsistently with Article 5.5 of the Agreement on Agriculture.

At its meeting on 23 July 1998, the DSB adopted the Appellate Body report and the Panel report, as modified by the Appellate Body report.

 

Implementation of adopted reports

The EC and Brazil announced at the DSB meeting on 21 October 1998, that they had reached a mutual agreement on a reasonable period of time for implementation, which was to be the period up to 31 March 1999.