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Trade Disputes in the WTO System: Russia as a Third Party
Currently, there are some difficulties in implementing the mechanism for resolving trade disputes established by the WTO rules. These are: the open question of the the Appellate Body functioning and the search for its alternative forms, failure to comply with the stipulated procedural deadlines; the need to prove a significant trade interest in the absence of a mechanism for evaluating it, which may lead to unjustified refusals to participate in the consideration of a trade dispute as a third party, etc. These problems determine the need not only to acquire practical skills in applying the rules and regulations of the WTO, but also for the theoretical understanding of the mechanism for implementing its trade interests protection. For Russia, it is important to participate not only as a plaintiff and defendant but as a third party of a trade dispute to gain experience and to form a staff capable to represent the state in the negotiation process and at the stage of consideration of cases in DSB. Using comparative legal and formal-legal methods, there is attempt to analyze the experience of possible effektive use of the dispute resolution mechanism, guided by the rules and regulations established by the WTO. Attention is drawn to the fact that Russia pays the most attention to disputes concerning the European Union, China and the United States of America. The autors categorize disputes in which Russia participates as a third party. There is speculation about the need to reform the mechanism for resolving trade disputes in the WTO due to the expansion of third-party rights (e.g., to allow a third party to obtain upon request information and documents, to secure entitlement to a presence at major meetings treteiskii group (not just the first), perhaps without the right to comment on the interim report of the arbitration panel) making appropriate amendments to article 10 of the Agreement. It can also be recommended to include a third party in the trade dispute and at the stage of appeal procedures for understanding whether there is a significant trade interest in the country.