A leaked final report from the three judges charged by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to rule on Ecuador’s complaint about the EU banana import regime comes down in the South American country’s favour.
“The WTO sent this confidential report to Ecuador and the EU,” a WTO spokesman told FPJ. “This report is not expected to be made public until about February, and has been sent to the two parties while it is translated and potentially to give them a chance to reach a negotiated settlement between themselves. Sometimes in cases like these, one or both of the parties chooses to leak the report, although it is not meant to happen like this.”
He added that the report does not indicate an official WTO decision on the matter yet, as it must first be sent to all 151 WTO members and be considered by a disputes settlement body.
But Ecuador is already seeing the report as a victory. “It is an additional ratification for us,” said Rafael Paredes, Ecuador’s vice-minister for foreign affairs. “Our country has been found in the right time and again on this issue, and I think this is the fourth time now different rulings have gone in our favour. As a result, the EU will now have to revise its import regime and its tariff level.”
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