Talking Disputes Live | The Russia – Pigs (EU) Dispute
Channel: ICTSD
Date: 19/05/2017

This online interactive debate will cover the recent WTO Appellate Body ruling in the Russia – Pigs (EU) dispute (DS475).

The trade row was triggered by Russia’s rejection of certain pig and pork imports from the European Union (EU) following the detection of African swine fever (ASF) in four of its member States – Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland. ASF is a highly contagious, lethal haemorrhagic disease affecting pigs.

The Appellate Body found that Russia had indeed imposed an EU bloc-wide ban on live pigs, pork, and other pig products. The Appellate Body also clarified the “regionalization” obligations of an importing Member and that of an exporting Member under the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). The Appellate Body found that Russia failed to adapt its measures to regional conditions as required by the SPS Agreement. The Appellate Body’s findings uphold the bulk of an earlier panel’s conclusions circulated last August.

Following a presentation on the key findings of the Appellate Body, the experts will engage in an exchange of views on the legal and policy implications of the findings, covering international trade relations and regulatory cooperation perspectives.

AGENDA 

12:45 Panel Discussion (Livestream starts)
Moderator:
Robert MCDOUGALL, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD)
 
Presentation of the Appellate Body’s findings in Russia – Pigs (EU):
Maria ALCOVER, Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL)
 
Commentators:
Anait SMBATYAN, WTO Expertise Center (Moscow)
Craig VANGRASSTEK, Harvard University
Lorenza JACHIA, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
 
13:45 Open Discussion (Questions from onsite and online audience)

More information: http://bit.ly/2q5LZWn

FEEDBACK
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