Request for Consultations by the European Communities

The following communication, dated 18 July 1997, from the Permanent Delegation of the European Commission to the Permanent Mission of India and to the Dispute Settlement Body, is circulated in accordance with Article 4.4 of the DSU.

On behalf of the European Community, I hereby request consultations with India pursuant to Article 4 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, Article XXII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994), Article 19 of the Agreement on Agriculture, Article 6 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures, and Article 11 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, concerning quantitative restrictions maintained by India on importation of a large number of agricultural, textile and industrial products. The restrictions include those notified to the WTO in document WT/BOP/N/24 of 22 May. Annex 1 of this document lists more than 3,000 quantitative restrictions maintained as per 1 April 1997.

The European Community considers that the quantitative restrictions maintained by India may constitute an infringement of, in particular but not necessarily exclusively, the following provisions:

• Articles XI, XIII, XVII and XVIII of GATT 1994;
• Article 4.2 of the Agreement on Agriculture;
• Articles 1 and 3 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures;
• Articles 2, 3 and 5 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

I look forward to receiving your reply to this request from the European Community and to setting a mutually convenient date for these consultations.