RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DS12/6
15September 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2696)
Original: Spanish
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES -TRADE DESCRIPTION OFSCALLOPS
Request fortheEstablishment ofaPanel byPeru
Thefollowing communication, dated 14September 1995, fromthePermanent Mission ofPeru
totheChairman oftheDispute Settlement Body iscirculated attherequest ofthatDelegation.
________________
Irefertotheconsultations which theGovernment ofPerurequested withtheEuropean Union
concerning thetrade description ofpectinidae (scallops).
On18July1995, theGovernment ofPeruformally requested theEuropean Union tohold
consultations concerning theFrench Government Order NOR MERP9300051 Aandsubsequent
amendments thereto laying down theofficial names andtrade descriptions ofpectinidae (scallops).
Peru'srequest wascirculated toWTO Members indocument WT/DS/12/1.
Pursuant tothatrequest, thedelegations ofPeruandtheEuropean Union heldaconsultation
meeting inGeneva on10August inorder tofindasolution tothisproblem.
Unfortunately, tothisdate, when the60-day time-limit established byArticle 4.7ofthe
Understanding onRules andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes isabout toexpire, it
hasbeenimpossible toarrive atasatisfactory result thatwould restore thecompetitive position ofthe
Peruvian product byeliminating therestrictions currently imposed onit.Peruispursuing itsefforts
tofindamutually satisfactory solution within theconsultation period provided forbytheUnderstanding
onRules andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes.
Nevertheless, ifupon theexpiry ofthe60-day consultation period, counting from 18July,
dateofreceipt ofourrequest, thisissue hasnotbeenresolved, Perureserves therighttorequest, at
theforthcoming meeting oftheDispute Settlement Body on27September, theestablishment ofapanel
pursuant toArticle XXIII oftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade (GATT) 1994, Article 14
oftheAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade andArticles 4and6oftheUnderstanding onRules
andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes.
Itherefore askyoutoinclude therequest ofPerufortheestablishment ofapanel intheagenda
forthemeeting oftheDispute Settlement Body on27September 1995. TothisendIenclose herewith
thetextofacommunication requesting theestablishment oftheabove-mentioned panel, which Ishall
sendtotheparties concerned ifamutually satisfactory solution tothismatter isnotfound upon the
expiry ofthe60daysprovided forconsultations.
./.WT/DS12/6
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ANNEX
Ihavethehonour torefertothetrade description ofpectinidae (scallops).
On18July1995, theGovernment ofPeruformally requested theEuropean Union tohold
consultations concerning theFrench Government Order NOR MERP9300051 Aof22March 1993
andsubsequent amendments thereto laying down theofficial names andtradedescriptions ofpectinidae.
Peru'srequest forconsultations wascirculated toMembers oftheWorld Trade Organization (WTO)
indocument WT/DS12/1 of25July1995.
TheGovernment ofPerurequested theabove-mentioned consultations inorder torestore the
competitive position ofthePeruvian product, whose scientific name is"argopecten purpuratus", because
theabove-mentioned French provisions unilaterally restrict theuseofthetradedescription of"coquille
Saint Jacques" and"noix decoquille Saint Jacques", thusaffecting andbelittling thePeruvian product
botheconomically andcommercially.
Pursuant tothatrequest, thedelegations ofPeruandtheEuropean Union heldconsultations
on10August 1995 inGeneva withaviewtofinding asatisfactory solution tothismatter.
Unfortunately, theconsultations failed toresolve theproblem. Inaccordance withArticle XXIII
ofGATT 1994, Article 14oftheAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade andArticles 4and6of
theUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes, theGovernment
ofPerurequests theestablishment ofapanel atthenextmeeting oftheDispute Settlement Body
scheduled for27September 1995.
Perurequests thatthepanel consider andfindthattheabove-mentioned French Order andthe
subsequent amendments thereto are:
(a) inconsistent withArticles 2and12oftheAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade;
(b) inconsistent withArticles IandIIIoftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade
(GATT) 1994; and
(c) nullifying andimpairing benefits accruing toPeruunder theWorld Trade Organization.
TheGovernment ofPerurequests thatthepanel beestablished withthestandard terms of
reference assetoutinArticle 7oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing theSettlement
ofDisputes.
Lastly, theGovernment ofPerurequests thatapanel beestablished atthemeeting oftheDispute
Settlement Body on27September, thedateatwhich the60-day period provided forinArticle 4.7
oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes willhaveexpired.