Russia has filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the European Union due to the violation of global free trade measures. More specifically, the Russian economy ministry said that the EU violated anti-dumping provisions of the WTO agreement. It is the first time Russia has complained about the EU at the WTO level since it joined the organization in August 2012.
The complaint comes at a time when the EU is accusing Russia over its car recycling tax imposed on imported vehicles and during the ongoing tensions between Brussels and Moscow over the pending EU-Ukraine free trade agreement. Moscow claims that the Russian steel manufacturers and fertilizer-makers are discriminated against in the European market due to the existing “energy adjustment” tariffs levied on the products made in Russia since 2002. Moscow argues that the anti-dumping tariffs imposed in the EU have been implemented in an unfair fashion deteriorating the position of Russian firms when exporting to the EU. This has allegedly caused losses of hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Russia’s accusation was sent also to the EU representative at the WTO, which lead to protracted discussions on the issue. The European side commented that the EU bodies are confident that the measures, which Moscow claims to be inconsistent with the WTO legislation, do in fact comply with the rulings of the organization. Negotiations regarding the Russian complaint should start as early as in January 2014. The EU has been reported to enter the talks in good faith as the negotiations would give a chance to enhance the communication with Russia, better understand it and address the issues that the country finds problematic.
