ID :
81340
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 00:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/81340
The shortlink copeid
WTO sets panel to tackle S. Korea's ban on Canadian beef: official
By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- The World Trade Organization (WTO) has taken steps to establish a dispute settlement panel that will make a ruling on South Korea's long-standing ban on Canadian beef, a government official said Wednesday.
The dispute that began with Ottawa formally asking for bilateral negotiations
under the WTO framework on April 9 could take up to two years, the official from
the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
Canada claims South Korea is unduly delaying talks to lift current import
restrictions, arguing it is a victim of "discrimination" since Seoul lifted its
ban on U.S. beef last year.
South Korea banned all beef imports from Canada as of May 2003, after the first
case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly called mad cow disease,
was confirmed in the North American country.
The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said that technically, the panel
will convene two to three times with a ruling being made in about six months.
Both Canada and South Korea will forward their views and requests to the panel,
with recommendations being made by so-called third parties that have "substantial
interest" in the proceedings
The U.S., Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, the European Union (EU), China, Argentina and
India, meanwhile, said they want to act as third party members in the dispute
settlement talks.
"The third parties can make recommendations to the three-person panel that can be
used as reference material, but all decisions can only come from the panel
itself," the official said.
He said that in the event Seoul were to lose, it would still not be obliged to
automatically lift its ban since under WTO rules, the country has to establish a
new set of import and sanitation rules for Canadian beef.
"This clause is universal, with all countries wanting to export beef to South
Korea required to take similar steps," he said, stressing that even if EU members
like Britain and Spain want to export beef, they will have to go through the same
process.
In 2002, before the ban went into effect, Canadian beef ranked fourth after
imports from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, with 16,400 tons or US$37
million worth of meat being imported by South Korea.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- The World Trade Organization (WTO) has taken steps to establish a dispute settlement panel that will make a ruling on South Korea's long-standing ban on Canadian beef, a government official said Wednesday.
The dispute that began with Ottawa formally asking for bilateral negotiations
under the WTO framework on April 9 could take up to two years, the official from
the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
Canada claims South Korea is unduly delaying talks to lift current import
restrictions, arguing it is a victim of "discrimination" since Seoul lifted its
ban on U.S. beef last year.
South Korea banned all beef imports from Canada as of May 2003, after the first
case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly called mad cow disease,
was confirmed in the North American country.
The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said that technically, the panel
will convene two to three times with a ruling being made in about six months.
Both Canada and South Korea will forward their views and requests to the panel,
with recommendations being made by so-called third parties that have "substantial
interest" in the proceedings
The U.S., Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, the European Union (EU), China, Argentina and
India, meanwhile, said they want to act as third party members in the dispute
settlement talks.
"The third parties can make recommendations to the three-person panel that can be
used as reference material, but all decisions can only come from the panel
itself," the official said.
He said that in the event Seoul were to lose, it would still not be obliged to
automatically lift its ban since under WTO rules, the country has to establish a
new set of import and sanitation rules for Canadian beef.
"This clause is universal, with all countries wanting to export beef to South
Korea required to take similar steps," he said, stressing that even if EU members
like Britain and Spain want to export beef, they will have to go through the same
process.
In 2002, before the ban went into effect, Canadian beef ranked fourth after
imports from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, with 16,400 tons or US$37
million worth of meat being imported by South Korea.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)
