Industry on both sides of the Atlantic is working to achieve a settlement to the dispute over aerospace subsidies, rather than risk a protracted legal case to investigate aid to Airbus and Boeing.
Both the European Union and the USA launched complaints against the other side within hours of each other last week to the World Trade Organisation against alleged breach of subsidy rules. The WTO says most complaints are settled during the 60-day bilateral consultation period, adding that the time pressure often concentrates minds in long-running grumbles. If there is no agreement by early December, a panel of experts will examine the complaints, in a multi-stage process that can take years to recommend remedies. Brazil and Canada have yet to implement retaliation measures from similar parallel aerospace subsidy dispute processes launched in 1996.
Source: Flight International
