RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DSB/W/10/Add.1
20July1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2088)
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY
Expiration ofTime-Periods intheDSU
Note bytheSecretariat
Addendum
Thisnotecontains alistofprovisions oftheDSU(anditsadditional orspecial rules) inwhich
"acommunication mustbemade oranaction taken byaMember toexercise orpreserve itsrights".
Most ofthese situations takeplace before thepanel process, i.e.atthestage ofconsultation andthe
constitution ofthepanel; therightofappeal isalsosubject tostrict time-periods.
Theproposed procedures onexpiration oftime-periods donotaddress situations where time-
periods under theresponsibility oftheSecretariat would fallonWTO non-working days. Forinstance,
nowthatpanel orAppellate Body reports areadopted unless there isaconsensus against adoption,
itwillbefortheSecretariat toputthesaidreports ontheagenda andthenthereport willbediscussed
andconsidered foradoption. Incases ofprohibited subsidies thetime-period isfairly short: "Appellate
Body report shallbeadopted within 20daysofitsissuance".
Examples ofprovisions where Members maylosearight iftheydonotactornotify a
communication within astrict time-period arelisted under Abelow. Examples ofprovisions referred
tointhepreceding paragraph arelisted inBbelow.
A. Provisions where Members maylosearightiftheydonotactornotify acommunication within
astrict time-period.
1. Consultations
a. there must beareply totherequest within 10days after thedateofitsreceipt of
therequest (4.3DSU),
b. consultations must beentered intowithin aperiod ofnomore than30days after
thedateofreceipt oftherequest (4.3DSU),
Incaseofurgency (4.8DSU)
c. consultations shallbeentered intowithin aperiod ofnomore than10daysafter
thedateofreceipt oftherequest ,WT/DSB/W/10/Add.1
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Request tojoininbyaMember whoconsiders thatithasasubstantial tradeinterest (4.11 DSU)
d. suchaMember maynotify theconsulting Members andtheDSB, within 10daysafter
thedateofcirculation oftherequest forconsultation under saidArticle ,ofitsdesire
tobejoined inconsultations.
2. Constitution ofthepanel
2.1 Terms ofreference
General provision (7DSU)
a. possibility ofanagreement within 20days from theestablishment ofapanel for
otherthanstandard terms ofreference (possibility thattheDSBChairman beauthorised
todraw uptheterms ofreference bytheDSB),
Actionable subsidies (7.4SCM)
b. theterms ofreference shallbeestablished within 15daysfromthedatewhen [apanel]
isestablished.
2.2 Composition ofPanels
General provision (8.7DSU)
a. parties must agree onthecomposition within 20days after thedate ofthe
establishment ofapanel ,
Actionable subsidies (7.4SCM)
b. thecomposition ofapanel shallbeestablished within 15daysfrom thedatewhen
[thepanel] isestablished .
2.3 Applicable law(1.2DSU)
a. ifconflict ofapplicable lawexists, thelawtobeapplicable tothedispute istobeagreed
bytheparties within 20daysoftheestablishment ofapanel ,
b. ifnoagreement, theChairman oftheDSBshalldecide ontheapplicable lawwithin
10daysafter arequest byeither Member .
3. Right toappeal
General provision (16.4 DSU)
a. within 60daysafter thedateofcirculation ofapanel report totheMembers, the
report shallbeadopted ataDSBmeeting unless aparty tothedispute formally notifies
theDSBofitsdecision toappeal.WT/DSB/W/10/Add.1
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4. Prohibited subsidies (4.8SCM)
b. within 30daysoftheissuance ofthepanel 'sreport toallMembers ,thereport should
beadopted bytheDSBunless oneoftheparties tothedispute formally notifies the
DSBofitsdecision toappeal (4.8SCM). Thissituation isnowcovered bytheDecision
oftheDSBof10/2/95 on"date ofcirculation".
Actionable subsidies (7.6SCM)
c. within 30daysoftheissuance ofthepanel 'sreport toallMembers ,thereport should
beadopted bytheDSBunless oneoftheparties tothedispute formally notifies the
DSBofitsdecision toappeal (7.6SCM). Thissituation isnowcovered bytheDecision
oftheDSBof10/2/95 on"date ofcirculation".
B. Example ofprovisions under theresponsibility oftheSecretariat ortheChairman oftheDSB
where astrict time-period isenvisaged, buttowhich theproposed procedure regarding WTO
non-working dayswould notapply.
1. Adoption ofapanel report
Prohibited subsidies (4.8SCM)
a. apanel report onprohibited subsidies shallbeadopted bytheDSBwithin 30days
of(its)issuance toallMembers. Thissituation isnowcovered bytheDecision of
theDSBof10/2/95 on"date ofcirculation". (Note thatthereisnoprovision authorizing
aMember torequest aDSBmeeting toadopt apanel report onprohibited subsidies,
which would seem tobeinconsistent withtheprovisions dealing withtheadoption
ofother types ofreports, see7.6SCM and16.4note7ofDSU).
Actionable subsidies (7.6SCM)
b. apanel report onactionable subsidies shallbeadopted bytheDSBwithin 30days
ofitsissuance toallMembers .Thissituation isnowcovered bytheDecision ofthe
DSBof10/2/95 on"date ofcirculation". Ameeting oftheDSBcanberequested for
theadoption ofthispanel report (note 21to7.6SCM).
2. Adoption oftheAppellate Body report
General provision (17.14 DSU)
a. theAppellate Body report shallbeadopted within 30daysfollowing itscirculation
toMembers ;ameeting canberequested fortheadoption ofanAppellate Body report
(17.14 andnote8DSU).
Prohibited subsidies (4.9SCM)
b. theAppellate Body report shall beadopted within 20days of(its)issuance to
Members ;ameeting canberequested fortheadoption ofanAppellate Body report
onprohibited subsidies (note 8to4.9SCM). Thissituation isnowcovered bythe
Decision oftheDSBof10/2/95 on"date ofcirculation".WT/DSB/W/10/Add.1
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Actionable subsidies (7.7SCM)
c. theAppellate body report shall beadopted within 20days of(its)issuance to
Members ;ameeting canberequested fortheadoption ofanAppellate body report
onactionable subsidies (note 22of7.7SCM). Thissituation isnowcovered bythe
Decision oftheDSBof10/2/95 on"date ofcirculation".
3. Constitution ofthepanel
Ifthere isnoagreement onthepanelists within 20daysafterthedateoftheestablishment of
apanel, attherequest ofeither party, theDG,inconsultations withtheChair oftheDSBand
relevant Council andCommittee shalldetermine thecomposition ofapanel nolaterthan10
daysafter thedatetheChairman receives sucharequest .