 
  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/DS246/12 
20 July 2004 
 
 (04-3129) 
 Original:   English 
 
  
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES – CONDITIONS FOR THE GRANTING 
OF TARIFF PREFERENCES TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 
 
Request by India for Arbitration under Article 21.3(c) of the DSU
 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 16 July 2004, from the delegation of India to the 
Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement Body, is ci rculated at the request of that delegation. 
 
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 On 20 April 2004, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) adopted the recommendations and 
rulings of the Appellate Body and Panel Reports in the proceeding " European Communities – 
Conditions for the Granting of Tariff Preferences to Developing Countries " WT/DS246.  
 
On 19 May 2004, the European Communities conf irmed to the DSB its intention to fully 
implement the DSB's rulings, but stated that it would need a reasonable period of time in which to 
implement.  India and the European Communities fu rther informed the DSB of their ongoing bilateral 
consultations on the reasonable period of time for implementation, pursuant to Article 21.3(b) of the 
Understanding on Rules and Procedures Gove rning the Settlement of Disputes (DSU).  
 
 However, it has not been possible to reach an agreement with the European Communities.  
India, therefore, requests that the reasonable period of time be determined through binding arbitration 
pursuant to Article 21.3(c) of the DSU.   
 The representatives of India will immediat ely begin consultations  with the European 
Communities with a view to reaching an agreemen t on an arbitrator within the next ten days. 
 
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