WORLD TRADE WT/DS62/6
WT/DS67/4
WT/DS68/3
22October 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4621)
Original: English
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES -CUSTOMS CLASSIFICATION
OFCERTAIN COMPUTER EQUIPMENT
Communication from theChairman ofthePanel
Thefollowing communication, dated 15October 1997, addressed totheDispute Settlement
Body, iscirculated inaccordance withArticle 12.9oftheDSU.
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Article 12.8oftheDSUstipulates thattheperiod inwhich apanel shallconduct itsexamination,
from thedatethatthecomposition andterms ofreference ofthepanel havebeenagreed upon until
thedatethefinalreport isissued totheparties shall, asageneral rule,notexceed sixmonths.
Article 12.9oftheDSUstates thatwhen apanel considers thatitcannot issueitsreport within
sixmonths, itshallinform theDispute Settlement Body (DSB) inwriting ofthereasons forthedelay
together withanestimate oftheperiod within which itwillissue itsreport.
Thepanel on"European Communities -Customs classification ofcertain computer equipment"
wasestablished bytheDSBon25February 1997andtheparties agreed onitscomposition andterms
ofreference on18April 1997. However, itwillnotbepossible forthePanel tocomplete itswork
insixmonths duetotheparties wishtousethemaximum timeperiods prescribed inAppendix 3of
theDSU.
ThePanel expects tocomplete itswork before mid-December 1997.