CHINA - ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AGREED PROCEDURES FOR ARBITRATION UNDER ARTICLE 25 OF THE DSU
Document: AGREED PROCEDURES
Date: 7 July 2023
Document codes: WT/DS611/7
Complainant: EU
Respondent: China
Third parties: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Peru, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, U.S., Vietnam
Dispute stage: Panel
Agreements cited: Art. 1.1, 28.1, 28.2, 41.1, 44.1, 63.1, 63.3  Intellectual Property (TRIPS)Section 2(A)(2)  Protocol of Accession

CHINA - ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
AGREED PROCEDURES FOR ARBITRATION UNDER ARTICLE 25 OF THE DSU
The following communication, dated 4 July 2023, from the delegation of the European Union and the
delegation of China to the Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement Body, is circulated at the request
of these delegations.
Pursuant to Article 25.2 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of
Disputes (DSU), the European Union and China notify the Dispute Settlement Body that we have
agreed to the attached Procedures for Arbitration under Article 25 of the DSU in the
China – Enforcement of intellectual property rights (DS611) dispute.
The European Union and China jointly request that you notify all members through circulation of
those Procedures in the DS document series for this dispute.

CHINA – ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (DS611)
AGREED PROCEDURES FOR ARBITRATION UNDER ARTICLE 25 OF THE DSU
1. In order to give effect to communication JOB/DSB/1/Add.12 in this dispute the European Union
and China (hereafter the "parties") mutually agree pursuant to Article 25.2 of the Understanding on
Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU) to enter into arbitration under
Article 25 of the DSU to decide any appeal from any final panel report 1 as issued to the parties in
dispute DS 611. Any party to the dispute may initiate arbitration in accordance with these agreed
procedures.
2. The arbitration may only be initiated if the Appellate Body is not able to hear an appeal in this
dispute under Article 16.4 and 17 of the DSU. For the purposes of these agreed procedures, such
situation is deemed to arise where, on the date of issuance of the final panel report to the parties,
there are fewer than three Appellate Body members.
For greater certainty, if the Appellate Body is able to hear appeals at the date on which the final
panel report is issued to the parties, a party may not initiate an arbitration, and the parties shall be
free to consider an appeal under Articles 16.4 and 17 of the DSU.
3. In order to facilitate the proper administration of arbitration under these agreed procedures, the
parties hereby jointly request the panel to notify the parties of the anticipated date of circulation of
the final panel report within the meaning of Article 16 of the DSU, no later than 45 days in advance
of that date.
4. Following the issuance of the final panel report to the parties, but no later th an 10 days prior to
the anticipated date of circulation of the final panel report to the rest of the Membership, any party
may request that the panel suspend the panel proceedings with a view to initiating the arbitration
under these agreed procedures. Such request by any party is deemed to constitute a joint request
by the parties for suspension of the panel proceedings for 12 months pursuant to Article 12.12 of
the DSU.
The parties hereby jointly request the panel to provide for the following, before the suspension takes
effect:
i. the immediate transmission of the final panel report, on a provisional basis, to the pool
of arbitrators and the lifting of confidentiality for that sole purpose;
ii. the transmission of the panel record to the arbitrators upon the fi ling of the Notice of
Appeal : Rule 25 of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review shall apply mutatis
mutandis;
iii. the lifting of confidentiality with respect of the final panel report under the Working
Procedures of the panel and the transmission of the final panel report, duly adjusted
for translation, in the working languages of the WTO to the parties, to the third parties
and to the pool of arbitrators.2
Except as provided in paragraphs 6 and 18, the parties shall not request the panel to resume the
panel proceedings.
5. The arbitration shall be initiated by filing of a Notice of Appeal with the WTO Secretariat no later
than 20 days after the suspension of the panel proceedings referred to in paragraph 4 has taken
effect. The Notice of Appeal shall include the final panel report in the working languages of the WTO.
The Notice of Appeal shall be simultaneously notified to the other party or parties and to the third

1 For greater certainty, this includes any final panel report issued in compliance proceedings pursuant to
Article 21.5 of the DSU.
2 The parties confirm that it is not their intention that the panel report be circulated within the meaning
of Article 16 of the DSU.

parties in the panel proceedings. Rules 20-23 of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review shall
apply mutatis mutandis.
6. Subject to paragraph 2, where the arbitration has not been initiated under these agreed
procedures, the parties shall be deemed to have agreed not to appeal the panel report pursuant to
Articles 16.4 and 17 of the DSU, with a view to its adoption by the DSB. If the panel proceedings
have been suspended in accordance with paragraph 4, but no Notice of Appeal has been filed in
accordance with paragraph 5, the parties hereby jointly request the panel to resume the panel
proceedings.
7. The arbitrators shall be three persons selected from the pool of 10 standing appeal arbitrators
composed in accordance with paragraph 4 of communication JOB/DSB/1/Add.12 (hereafter the "pool
of arbitrators").3 The selection from the pool of arbitrators will be done on the basis of the same
principles and methods that apply to form a division of the Appellate Body under Article 17.1 of the
DSU and Rule 6(2) of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review, including the principle of
rotation.4 The WTO Director General will notify the parties and third parties of the results of the
selection. The arbitrators shall elect a Chairperson. Rule 3(2) of the Working Procedure for Appellate
Review shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the decision-making by the arbitrators.
8. In order to give effect to paragraph 5 of communication JOB/DSB/1/Add.12 in this dispute, the
arbitrators may discuss their decisions relating to the appeal with all of the other members of the
pool of arbitrators, without prejudice to the exclusive responsibility and freedom of the arbitrators
with respect to such decisions and their quality. All members of the pool of arbitrators shall receive
any document relating to the appeal.
9. An appeal shall be limited to issues of law covered by the panel report and legal interpretations
developed by the panel. The arbitrators may uphold, modify or reverse the legal findings and
conclusions of the panel. Where applicable, the arbitration award shall include recommendations, as
envisaged in Article 19 of the DSU. The findings of the panel which have not been appealed shall be
deemed to form an integral part of the arbitration award together with the arbitrators' own findings.
10. The arbitrators shall only address those issues that are necessary for the resolution of the
dispute. They shall address only those issues that have been raised by the parties, without prejudice
to their obligation to rule on jurisdictional issues.
11. Unless otherwise provided for in these agreed procedures, th e arbitration shall be governed,
mutatis mutandis , by the provisions of the DSU and other rules and procedures applicable to
Appellate Review. This includes in particular the Working Procedures for Appellate Review and the
timetable for appeals provided fo r therein as well as the Rules of Conduct. 5 The arbitrators may
adapt the Working Procedures for Appellate Review and the timetable for appeals provided for
therein, where justified under Rule 16 of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review, after
consulting the parties.
12. The parties request the arbitrators to issue the award within 90 days following the filing of the
Notice of Appeal. To that end, the arbitrators may take appropriate organizational measures to
streamline the proceedings, without prejudice to the procedural rights and obligations of the parties
and due process. Such measures may include decisions on page limits, time limits and deadlines as
well as on the length and number of hearings required.
13. If necessary in order to issue the award within the 90 day time-period, the arbitrators may also
propose substantive measures to the parties, such as an exclusion of claims based on the alleged
lack of an objective assessment of the facts pursuant to Article 11 of the DSU.6

3 If the pool of arbitrators has not been composed, footnote 1 to paragraph 4 of communication
JOB/DSB/1/Add.12 shall apply.
4 However, at the request of a party to a dispute, any member of the pool of arbitrators who is not a
national of a participating Member shall be excluded from the selection process. Two nationals of the same
Member shall not serve on the same case.
5 For greater certainty, paragraphs 14 – 17 of the Rules of Conduct shall apply to arbitrators.
6 For greater certainty, the proposal of the arbitrators is not legally binding and it will be up to the party
concerned to agree with the proposed substantive measures. The fact that the party concerned does not agree

14. On a proposal from the arbitrators, the parties may agree to extend the 90 day time-period for
the issuance of the award.
15. The parties agree to abide by the arbitration award, which shall be final. Pursuant to Article 25.3
of the DSU, the award shall b e notified to, but not adopted by, the DSB and to the Council or
Committee of any relevant agreement.
16. Only parties to the dispute, not third parties, may initiate the arbitration. Third parties which
have notified the DSB of a substantial interest in the matter before the panel pursuant to Article 10.2
of the DSU may make written submissions to, and shall be given an opportunity to be heard by, the
arbitrators. Rule 24 of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review shall apply mutatis mutandis.
17. Pursuant to Article 25.4 of the DSU, Articles 21 and 22 of the DSU shall apply mutatis mutandis
to the arbitration award issued in this dispute.
18. At any time during the arbitration, the appellant, or other appellant, may withdraw its appeal,
or other appeal, by notifying the arbitrators. This notification shall also be notified to the panel and
third parties, at the same time as the notification to the arbitrators. If no other appeal or appeal
remains, the notification shall be deemed to constitute a joint request by the parties to resume panel
proceedings under Article 12.12 of the DSU. 7 If an other appeal or appeal remains at the time an
appeal or other appeal is withdrawn, the arbitration shall continue.
19. The parties shall jointly notify these agreed procedures to the panel in DS 611 and ask the panel
to grant, where applicable, the joint requests formulated in paragraphs 3, 4, 6, and 18.8

with the proposed substantive measures shall not prejudice the consideration of the case or the rights of the
parties.
7 If the authority of the panel has lapsed pursuant to Article 12.12 of the DSU, the arbitrators shall issue
an award that incorporates the findings and conclusions of the panel in their entirety.
8 For greater certainty, should any of these requests not be granted by the panel, the parties will agree
on alternative procedural modalities to preserve the effects of the relevant provisions of these agreed
procedures.