Antigua says the EU and China support its WTO case

[BufordD]

Large nations support Antigua’s Internet gaming case

Wednesday October 18 2006

Antigua & Barbuda’s delegation to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) held consultations in Geneva on Tuesday with representatives from the European Commission, Japan and China, which are third Parties to its Internet gaming case against the United States.

The country’s delegation was led by Ambassador Dr. John W. Ashe and included Mark Mendel, legal adviser, and Elliott Paige, minister counsellor, OECS Technical Mission to the WTO. Briefing Sessions were also held with representatives from Brazil, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.

“Now that both sides have filed their respective submissions to the WTO Panel that will hear our case against the US’ claim that it is “in compliance” with the rulings and recommendations of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body, and with the 23 Oct., deadline for submissions by third party members of the WTO, these consultations with the third parties provide us with an important opportunity to address all aspects of our case,’ said Finance Minister Dr. Errol Cort.

From the archives of the Antigua Sun newspaper reflecting on the character, values and eccentricities of the people of Antigua

Beginning of the Article

WTO Ambassador Dr. John Ashe echoed these sentiments when he noted that: “As one of the smallest WTO members, economically and geographically speaking, my delegation is pleased with the ongoing interest and participation in this issue from two of the largest economic trading partners of the United States, namely Japan and the European Union.”

Kaye MacDonald, director of Gaming, expressed her satisfaction with the involvement of third party WTO members and praised their continued involvement in the uphill struggle against the US.

“Given the importance of the industry to our overall economy, we are pleased that the third parties, having examined the merits of our case, have decided to stay the course,” she said.

“From the outset, the US’s action in this case leaves a lot to be desired and recent US Congressional actions have, in my view, further compounded the apparent disregard for the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism,” said the delegation’s Legal Adviser, Mark Mendel.

“Firstly, the US ignored the rulings and recommendations of the DSU. Then they argued for more time to implement the same recommendations they were ignoring.

"And finally, after been given a total of eleven months and two days to implement these rulings and recommendations by a WTO Arbitrator, they concluded that they were 'in compliance' all along,” he said.

“Moral issues notwithstanding, the systemic issues raised by this case go to the fundamental raison d’etre of the WTO’s existence,” said Elliott Paige of the OECS’ Technical Mission to the WTO.

“It would indeed be a very sad day for the WTO if the rulings and recommendations of its dispute settlement mechanism on matters of considerable economic importance to its smallest members, are completely ignored by its larger and more economically powerful members,” he added.

In addition to next week’s submissions by the third parties, the Panel is also expected to receive a rebuttal by Antigua and Barbuda on the US’ submission in three weeks time.

This will be followed by a rebuttal by the US some two weeks later. The Panel will then convene its first hearing sometime in November and issue is final ruling in January/February 2007.

[BluffTHIS!]

You need to provide links to stories when you excerpt them. Unless of course they are just from another online casino/sports betting "news" site that really is an affiliate passing off 3rd hand garbled and speculative information.

I found the link to the story in the Antigua Sun.


The best part of the excerpt above is this:

“Firstly, the US ignored the rulings and recommendations of the DSU. Then they argued for more time to implement the same recommendations they were ignoring.

"And finally, after been given a total of eleven months and two days to implement these rulings and recommendations by a WTO Arbitrator, they concluded that they were 'in compliance' all along,” he said.


Which just shows the DoJ and thus the US has been lying about compliance all along.