RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DS12/9
WT/DS14/8
ORGANIZATION 9February 1996
(96-0495)
Original: English
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES -TRADE DESCRIPTION OFSCALLOPS
Communication from theChairman ofthePanel
Thefollowing communication, dated 6February 1996andaddressed totheDispute Settlement
Body, iscirculated inaccordance withArticle 12.9oftheDSU.
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Article 12.8 oftheDSU stipulates thattheperiod inwhich thepanel shall conduct its
examination, fromthedatethatthecomposition andterms ofreference ofthepanel havebeenagreed
uponuntilthedatethefinalreport isissued totheparties, shall, asageneral rule,notexceed sixmonths.
Article 12.9oftheDSUstates thatwhen thepanel considers thatitcannot issueitsreport within
sixmonths, itshallinform theDispute Settlement Body (DSB) inwriting ofthereasons forthedelay
together withanestimate oftheperiod within which itwillissue itsreport.
ThePanel on"European Communities -Trade Description ofScallops, requests byPeruand
Chile" wasestablished bytheDSBon11October 1995andparties agreed onitscomposition andterms
ofreference on12October 1995. Inthelightofrequests bytheparties, itwasdecided thatthetimetables
ofthetworelated disputes onTrade Description ofScallops (thepresent oneandtheoneinvolving
Canada) would beharmonized. Consequently, thePanel willnotbeabletoissue itsreport within
sixmonths.
ThePanel, inagreement withtheParties, expects tocomplete itsworkbytheendofApril 1996.