Source: WTO creates arbiter panel over EU’s dispute with Russia

GENEVA, Dec 20 (PRIME) -- The Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has approved an E.U. request to create an arbiter panel to consider its dispute with Russia on access of foreign companies to Moscow’s state procurements, a trade source in Geneva told reporters on Monday.

“The Dispute Settlement Body has agreed with the second request of the E.U. to create a group for consideration of the Russian measures that the E.U. thinks are a part of the imports substitution program that is incompatible with the WTO norms,” the source said.

The European Commission was earlier dissatisfied with the measures of the Russian government that restrict or limit E.U. companies from selling goods and services to the Russian state companies under the state procurement mechanism.

The European Commission launched the WTO dispute in July, and Russia’s Economic Development Ministry said then that it was ready to assure the E.U. that the rules of state procurements in the country do not contradict the WTO norms.

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