CIEL and partners welcome the second open hearings in WTO dispute settlement history and ask parties to make open hearings their policy

October 11, 2006

On 27-28 September 2006 and 2-3 October 2006 two dispute settlement panels' proceedings with the scientific experts and with the parties (the European Commission, the United States and Canada) were open to public observation via closed-circuit television broadcast. The three disputing parties in the two cases, (US - Continued suspension of obligations in the EC - Hormones dispute, DS320; Canada - Continued suspension of obligations in the EC - Hormones dispute, DS321) had requested that the proceedings with the parties and scientific experts be open.

CIEL has long advocated for more transparent mechanisms for dispute settlement generally, including open WTO hearings in particular. CIEL and partners have written letters to the European Commision, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Canada's Minister of International Trade congratulating them for taking this step and also requesting their governments to make open hearings their policy in all WTO disputes.

For more information, please contact:

Marcos Orellana, Director, Trade & Sustainable Development Program, Washington, DC: morellana@ciel.org