Sale and Distribution of Bananas; Recourse to
Article 21.5 by the United
States (WT/DS27)
The Office of the United States Trade Representative
(“USTR”) wishes to inform the public of an opportunity to view the public
session of the substantive meeting of the Panel in the World Trade Organization
(“WTO”) dispute European Communities — Regime for the Importation, Sale and
Distribution of Bananas; Recourse to Article 21.5 by the United States
(WT/DS27). It is likely that the public will be
allowed to observe the meeting from within the meeting room. The WTO does not permit recording or
broadcast of the meeting.
The meeting with the parties (the United States and the
European Communities) will be held on November 6, 2007 at the WTO in Geneva,
Switzerland and continue on November 7.
On November 6, parties will make their opening statement and may pose
questions or make comments on the other party’s statement. The Panel also may pose any questions or
make any comments during the public session. To the extent that the Panel or either
of the parties considers it necessary, the Panel may go into closed session for
as long as necessary to protect confidential information. Updates will be provided through this
website.
Viewing of the public session will be on the WTO
premises in Geneva,
Switzerland and
is open to those individuals who apply and are accepted by the WTO.
USTR invites any person interested in viewing the public
session to so inform USTR by
e-mail at rsvp-ds27@ustr.eop.gov. USTR urges
that the request be made as soon as possible and in any event no later than
October 31, 2007. Requests will be
forwarded to the WTO. Each request
should indicate the person’s full name, contact information (full address,
phone, and e-mail), organization (if any), and nationality, and whether the
person has made any other request to view the public session (such as a request
directly to the WTO or to the other party to the dispute, the European
Communities).
Details about the dispute may be found
at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds27_e.htm. Further information, including
U.S. submissions to the Panel, may be
found at http://www.ustr.gov/Trade_Agreements/Monitoring_Enforcement/Dispute_Settlement/WTO/Dispute_Settlement_Index_-_Pending.html.
