All news

Russia urges WTO to form arbitral group on energy lawsuit to EU

Russia’s claims on energy adjustment are that in anti-dumping procedures, the EU takes into account not Russian, but higher European prices to the expense of Russian enterprises involved in electricity and gas purchases

GENEVA, June 18. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia urged the World Trade Organization (WTO) to form an arbitral group of experts on a lawsuit versus the European Union over energy adjustment. The official request was made at a meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body on Wednesday, a diplomat who participated in the meeting told ITAR-TASS.

Brussels officials used their right to dismiss a request for shaping an arbitral group for the first time. Thus, this group should be formed at a next meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body on July 22. Then the European Union will not have an opportunity to block formation of a group of experts. On average, it takes about a year for the WTO to consider a lawsuit.

Russia’s claims on energy adjustment are that in anti-dumping procedures, the EU takes into account not Russian, but higher European prices to the expense of Russian enterprises involved in electricity and gas purchases. The EU accused Russia of dumping on the strength of these assessments.

In general, estimating the quality of relations between Russia and the West within the WTO, Russia does not rule out attraction of arbitration experts from the global trade organization in case of trade disputes stirred up by sanctions, Director of the department of trade talks at the Ministry of Economic Development Maxim Medvedkov said in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.

“We assume that sanctions should not be applied as a response to some political events,” he noted. “We use available WTO instruments to inform our partners about our point of view, but if it is established that this policy is not effective any more and there is no other solution, except for attraction of arbitral experts, this will be done,” he added.

Tags