WTO rebukes Fischler over democracy swipe

05 September 1997

WTO rebukes Fischler over democracy swipe

THE World Trade Organisation (WTO) slammed Franz Fischler, European farm
commissioner, over his suggestions on Wednesday that the WTO lacked democratic
accountability.

Renato Ruggiero, WTO director-general, said the introduction of a
“political element” into its dispute settlement procedures would undermine
them.

The comments followed the WTO trade disputes panel ruling that the eight-year
European Union (EU) ban on hormone-treated meat was illegal.

Ruggiero said that procedures had been agreed by all WTO members and approved by EU national parliaments.

Fischlers comments also incurred the wrath of Europes trade commissioner,
Sir Leon Brittan, who is understood to have insisted in a letter to the farm
commissioner that there was no democratic deficit in the WTO. He added that the
EU had always been a strong advocate of the bodys dispute settlement
mechanisms.

Fischlers office said he had not intended to call into question the WTOs
decision-making processes. The reference to democratic control reflected the
EUs view that, on a non-discriminatory basis, it had the right to set its own
consumer protection levels.