WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3823/98 by Concepció FERRER to the Commission. Dispute-settlement proceedings against India
Date: 1998-12-22
Institutions: European Parliament, FERRER
Subjects: GATT, India, World Trade Organisation, animal skin, customs duties, export restriction, import restriction, motor vehicle industry, settlement of disputes, spare part

C 182/128

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

28.6.1999

(1999/C 182/175)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3823/98

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE) to the Commission

(22 December 1998)

Subject: Dispute-settlement proceedings against India

Can the Commission say how many dispute-settlement proceedings have been opened against India within the
WTO since November 1997 and list the subjects of those proceedings, and can it say how many of the
proceedings under way have been opened and suspended without arriving at an amicable settlement?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 1999)

The Community has initiated four disputes settlement cases against India since November 1997. They are all at
the World trade organization (WTO) consultation stage.

Measures affecting export of certain commodities, raw hides and skins (doc. WT/DS120). The de facto export
ban on hides and skins by India led the Community to request WTO consultations on 16 March 1998. Two
rounds of WTO consultations were held but no amicable settlement to the dispute has yet resulted. The
Commission continues to follow this issue closely. At a meeting held in Delhi on 18 November 1998 the
Commission made it clear to the Indian side that in the absence of a quick positive move, the Community
would consider requesting a WTO panel.

Measures affecting the automotive sector (doc. WTO/DS146). WTO consultations were requested on
6 October 1998 and held with the Indian side on 2 December 1998 in Geneva. At issue is the Indian
restrictive import regime for car components and unassembled vehicles which compels a manufacturer to use
domestically produced goods and to export automotive products for a certain value. The Commission is
reviewing the replies from the Indians and has requested additional information from Delhi.

Import restrictions (doc. WT/DS149). WTO consultations were requested on 29 October 1998 and took place
on 3 December 1998. The Community considers that India has adopted a series of import restrictions that
may not be justified by General agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT) Articles XX and XXI which allow
members to maintain import restrictions to protect human, animal or plant life or health, national treasures,
exhaustible natural resources, or essential security interests. The Commission is reviewing the replies from the
Indian authorities in these talks.

Measures affecting customs duties (doc. WT/DS150). WTO consultations were requested on 30 October 1998
and took place on 2 December 1998. According to Community calculations, the increase of certain duties has
resulted in a breach of the WTO bound rates for more than 100 tariff lines.The Commission is assessing the
replies from the Indian authorities.

(1999/C 182/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3827/98

by Riccardo Garosci (PPE) to the Commission

(22 December 1998)

Subject: Final declaration of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Forum (Brussels, 27 and 28 October 1998)

How does the Commission intend to react to the Final declaration of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary
Forum held in Brussels on 27 and 28 October 1998 and in particular to the specific request made in point 12
of the declaration for Libya to participate as a full partner in the Barcelona process, thus ending an outdated
exclusion that has been overtaken by events?