§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the EU pursuing a complaint at the World Trade Organisation against the US Government over the State of Massachusetts' Burma Law. [53664]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 31 July 1998]: The UK and EU consider that the Massachusetts Burma Selective Purchase Law breaks the United States' obligations under the World Trade Organisation's Government Procurement Agreement. On 8 September, after lengthy efforts to resolve the problem informally, the EU (and Japan) requested a formal WTO Panel. This request was agreed at the meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body on 21 October.