WT/DS400/16/Add.6  
WT/DS401/17/Add.6  
 
18 September 2015  
(15-4806)  Page: 1/2  
  Original: English  
 
  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES – MEASURES  PROHIBITING THE IMPORTATION AND 
MARKETING OF SEAL PRODUCTS 
STATUS REPORT BY THE EUROPEAN UNION 
Addendum 
The following communication, dated 17 September 2015, from the delegation of the European 
Union to the Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement Body, is circulated pursuant to Article 21.6 of 
the DSU. 
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Status report by the European Union regarding implementation of the 
DSB recommendations and rulings in the disputes 
European Communities – Measures Prohibiting the Importation 
and Marketing of Seal Products 
(WT/DS400 and WT/DS401) 
The European Union submits this report in accordance with Article 21.6 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes ("DSU"). 
On 18 June 2014, the Dispute Settlement Body ("DSB") adopted its recommendation and rulings in 
the disputes European Communities – Measures Prohibiting the Importation and Marketing of Seal 
Products  (WT/DS400 and 401). At the DSB meeting of 10 July 2014, the European Union notified 
the DSB that it intends to implement the reco mmendations and rulings of the DSB in these 
disputes in a manner that respects its WTO obligations but that it need a reasonable period of time to do so. On 5 September 2014, Canada, Norway and the European Union agreed that the 
reasonable period of time for the European Union to implement the recommendations and rulings 
of the DSB would expire on 18 October 2015.  
Regarding the recommendations and rulings of the DSB relating to inconsistencies of the EU Seal 
Regime (consisting of Regulation (EC) No. 10 07/2009 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 16 September 2009 on trade in seal products (Basic Regulation), OJ L 286, 31.10.2009, pg. 36 and Commission regulation (EU) no. 737/2010 of 10 August 2010 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1007/2009 of the European Parliament and of 
the Council on trade in seal products (Commission Regulation No. 737/2010), OJ L 216, 
17.08.2010, pg. 1) with the EU's WTO obligations, the European Commission submitted on 6 February 2015 to the European Parliament and to the Council of the European Union a proposal for 
the amendment of the Basic Regulation. The pr oposal has been approved with some minor 
modifications by the European Parliament in its plenary session on 7 September and is likely to 
also be approved by the Council at one of it s forthcoming Council meeting. The proposal as 
approved consists mainly of removing the except ion for maritime resource management hunts and 
of strengthening the Inuit exception. The propos al ensures that a meaningful Inuit exception 
remains, while strengthening coherence with the objective of the regulation by explicitly adding animal welfare considerations as a condition for the use of the exception.  
Upon entry into force of these modifications, a new implementing regulation will need to be 
adopted by the Commission to reflect these changes.  WT/DS400/16/Add.6 • WT/DS401/17/Add.6 
 
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  Regarding the recommendation and rulings of the DSB relating to the fact that (at the time of the 
rulings) only Greenlandic Inuit were effectively using the exception for Inuit and other indigenous communities (IC exception), the European Union ha s engaged with Canada in order to facilitate 
the setting up of the relevant attestation mechanism that will allow Canadian Inuit to use the IC 
exception of the EU Seal regime. The Commission decision recognising the Government of Nunavut 
as an attestation body under the EU's seal regime has been adopted on 30 July 2015.  
 
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