The WTO Dispute Settlement System as a New Actor in the EU-Russia Trade Relationship

When Russia in 2012 joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), it also moved its bilateral power-oriented trade relationship with the European Union (EU) into a more rule of law-based framework. This paper addresses the WTO dispute settlement system’s role in settling disputes that is relevant in the Russia-EU trade relationship. The rule of law-based framework can prove essential for businesses engaged in EU-Russia trade as it strengthens legal certainty. The paper addresses two dimensions where the WTO dispute settlement system has strengthened legal certainty: 1) by clarifying the legal value of the dispute settlement reports, and 2) by handling and clarifying the interface between trade law and environmental law.

The paper was presented on 2nd December 2020 at the UCLAN Cyprus online symposium to mark the passage of 60 years since the Republic of Cyprus established state relations with Russia.