PANAMA — MEASURES
CONCERNING THE IMPORTATION OF
CERTAIN PRODUCTS FROM COSTA RICA
COMMUNICATION FROM THE PANEL
The following communication, dated 11 October 2023, addressed to the
Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), is circulated in accordance
with Article 12.9 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU).
_______________
Article
12.8 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of
Disputes (DSU) provides that the period in which a panel shall conduct its
examination, from the date that the composition and terms of reference of the
panel have been agreed upon until the date the final report is issued to the
parties to the dispute, shall, as a general rule, not exceed six months.
Article 12.9 of the DSU provides that, when a
panel considers that it cannot issue its report within six months, it shall
inform the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in writing accordingly and indicate
the reasons, together with an estimate of the period within which it will issue
its report.
The Panel on Panama
- Measures Concerning the Importation of Certain Products from Costa Rica
(DS599) was established by the DSB on 27 September 2021 and composed on 24
January 2022.
On
13 June 2022, the Panel informed the DSB that the beginning of its work had
been delayed due to a lack of Spanish-speaking personnel in the Secretariat
available to staff disputes.[1] Accordingly, the Panel did not expect to issue its final report to
the parties prior to the second half of 2023.
The
Panel wishes to inform the DSB that, due to the delayed start of the work, the
complexity of the dispute and the large number of claims involved, the Panel
now expects to issue its final report to the parties at the end of the third
quarter of 2024.
The
report will only be available to the public once it is circulated to the
Members in all three working languages of the WTO. The date of circulation
depends on completion of translation and the Panel is not in a position to
provide an estimated circulation date at this time.
I would be grateful if you would
circulate this letter to the DSB.