The European Union (EU) and Argentina have signed in Buenos Aires a final settlement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute that Argentina brought against the EU in May 2003 regarding the application of its legislation on biotech products. The mutually agreed solution provides for the establishment of a regular dialogue on issues of mutual interest on biotechnology applied to agriculture. The EU and Argentina will notify this settlement to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body as a mutually agreed solution. A settlement of the WTO dispute that Canada brought against the EU regarding the same issue was already reached on 15 July 2009.
EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said: “This is the second settlement regarding the WTO case on GMOs that is reached. This is certainly a recognition by Canada and Argentina as much as the EU that the best approach to this complex issue is a regular dialogue. I hope the United States, the only remaining WTO complainant in this dispute, will soon come to the same conclusion.”
The European Commission has held regular discussions on biotech-related issues with the three complainants in this case – Canada, Argentina and the United States – since the adoption of the WTO panel report in 2006.
Similarly to the settlement reached last year with Canada, the settlement reached with Argentina provides for bi-annual meetings between competent services of the European Commission and Argentinean authorities regarding the application of biotechnology to agriculture and related trade issues of mutual interest, including:
- The follow up of the authorization processes of genetically modified products of interest to the Parties, both in the EU and Argentina;
- The measures related to biotechnology which may affect trade between Argentina and the EU, including measures adopted by the EU Member States;
- Specific issues which arise in the context of requests for authorization submitted to regulatory evaluation;
- The exchange of information on the trade impact of asynchronous authorizations of genetically modified products;
- The evaluation of the economic and trade outlook of future authorizations of genetically modified products;
- The renewal of authorizations of genetically modified products;
- The exchange of information regarding other relevant issues in the field of agriculture biotechnology, including new legislation in the field in the field of biotechnological agriculture, or coordination mechanisms to solve eventual cases of adventitious presence of non-authorized GMOs in shipments of authorized products.
This dialogue is aimed at an exchange of information that would contribute to avoiding unnecessary obstacles to trade. This dialogue does not prejudice EU action on individual product authorizations for GM products which will continue to follow the normal process and procedure.
Source: europa.eu
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