Dispute settlement activity in 2014

Dispute settlement had one of its most active years in 2014 since the inception of the WTO in 1995, with 34 active panel, compliance and arbitration proceedings and six appeals. A highly anticipated dispute against Australia’s tobacco plain packaging requirements got under way. The Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), which met 14 times, received 14 requests for consultations – the first stage in the dispute settlement process – and established 13 panels.