European Communities and certain Member States - Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft - Recourse to article 21.5 of the DSU by the European Union - Notification of an appeal by the European Union under article 16.4 and article 17 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU), article 7.6 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement) and under Rule 20(1) of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review

European COMMUNITIES AND CERTAIN MEMBER STATES - MEASURES AFFECTING TRADE IN LARGE CIVIL AIRCRAFT

Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by THE european union

Notification of an Appeal by the European Union[1] under Article 16.4 and Article 17 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU), Article 7.6 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement) and under Rule 20(1) of the
Working Procedures for Appellate Review

The following communication, dated 6 December 2019, from the delegation of the European Union, is being circulated to Members.

 

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Pursuant to Article 16.4 and Article 17.1 of the DSU, and Article 7.6 of the SCM Agreement, the European Union hereby notifies to the Dispute Settlement Body its decision to appeal to the Appellate Body certain issues of law covered in the Panel Report and certain legal interpretations developed by the Panel in the dispute European Union – Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft (Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by the European Union) (WT/DS316/RW2). Pursuant to Rule 20(1) of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review, the European Union simultaneously files this Notice of Appeal with the Appellate Body Secretariat.

The European Union is restricting its appeal to those errors that it believes constitute serious errors of law and legal interpretation that need to be corrected. Non-appeal of an issue does not signify agreement therewith.

For the reasons to be further elaborated in its submissions to the Appellate Body, the European Union appeals, and requests the Appellate Body to reverse, modify, or declare moot and of no legal effect, the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Panel, with respect to the following errors of law and legal interpretations contained in the Panel Report:[2]

1.       The Panel erred in the interpretation and application of Articles 1.1 and 7.8 of the SCM Agreement when finding that the full repayment of the UK A350XWB Member State Financing ("MSF") loan failed to achieve the withdrawal of the subsidy.[3]

2.       The Panel erred in the interpretation and application of Articles 1.1 and 7.8 of the SCM Agreement when finding that amendment of the terms of a subsidy to align it with a contemporaneous market benchmark does not "withdraw the subsidy".[4]



[1] Unless the context otherwise requires, as a matter of WTO law, references in this document (and any subsequent document filed in this dispute) to the European Union include the "certain member States" (France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom) against which the United States commenced this dispute.

[2] Paragraph numbers provided in footnotes to the following description of the errors of the Panel are intended to indicate the primary instance of the errors. These errors have consequences throughout the report, and the European Union also appeals all findings and conclusions deriving from or relying on the appealed errors, and in particular the relevant findings and conclusions in Sections 7 and 8 of the Panel Report. The European Union also emphasises that the paragraphs listed in this Notice of Appeal comprise only an "indicative list", pursuant to Rule 20(2)(d)(iii) of the Working Procedures for Appellate Review.

[3] Panel Report, paras. 7.188-7.190, 7.195-7.204, 7.259(b), 8.1(b)(ii).

[4] Panel Report, paras. 7.142-7.151, 7.158, 7.163-7.164, 7.217-7.219, 7.234, 7.259(a)(ii), 7.259(c)(i), 8.1(b)(i), 8.1(b)(iii).