EU to take Colombia to WTO over duties on frozen fries

EU trade chief Cecilia Malmström has agreed to start a World Trade Organization consultation on the issue of Colombian anti-dumping duties on fries from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told POLITICO today. The consultation will be the first stage of formal dispute settlement at the WTO. It gives all sides a chance to discuss the issue behind closed doors and try to find a solution. Should no agreement be reached in this stage, a panel can be established. Earlier efforts to come to terms with Colombia on the issue have not had “any real effects,” Reynders said upon arrival at the meeting of EU trade ministers today, adding that it was “very important” for Belgium to get the Commission to start consultations at the WTO. Read more here