A press release from the Canadian government:
The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council and the Honourable Peter Penashue, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and member of Parliament for Labrador, today released the following statement:“Today, Canada, along with Norway, asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to appoint the panellists to hear the challenge to the EU's ban on seal products.
“Canada and Norway are ready with their legal case and look forward to moving ahead with the WTO dispute settlement process.
“It is Canada’s view that the EU’s ban on imports of Canadian seal products violates the EU’s WTO obligations.
“The Atlantic and northern seal harvests are humane, sustainable and well-regulated activities that provide an important source of food and income for coastal and Inuit communities.
“The Government of Canada is firmly committed to defending our sealing industry and the coastal and northern communities that depend on the seal harvest.”
My speculation in the past was that the complainants wanted to wait until the recent TBT cases (Cloves, Tuna, COOL) were finished, to be able to argue the case properly under a clear legal standard. I'm not sure if that was behind the decision to hold off for so long, but it does fit pretty well with the timing of this decision to push ahead.
