EU welcomes Japan joining the multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement

The EU welcomes Japan’s decision today to join the multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement (MPIA), which is open to all World Trade Organization (WTO) members. The MPIA is an alternative, stop-gap system for resolving WTO disputes, anchored in the WTO Agreement, set up by the EU and key partners, pending the restoration of a reformed WTO dispute settlement system. Including Japan, 26 WTO Members currently participate in the MPIA.

Existing WTO rules, which still govern the majority of our trade, are our best guardrail against global economic fragmentation. The EU therefore has a fundamental strategic interest in a strong and reformed WTO, and we must continue leading efforts to reform it.

Japan’s decision, along with that of other MPIA members, confirms the commitment of leading WTO players to the organisation’s dispute settlement system and the rules that that system enforces. It is also a strong sign of support for the restoration of a reformed and fully functioning dispute settlement system, which WTO members have committed to putting in place by 2024.

The EU reiterates that MPIA membership remains open to all members, to offer a practical tool for appeal arbitration, pending the restoration of a reformed and fully functioning WTO dispute settlement system.

The first appeal to be heard under the MPIA was on anti-dumping duties imposed by Colombia on frozen fries from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.