EU Launches Selection of Candidates for the position of WTO Appellate Body member
The EU and the WTO | Brussels, 26 October 2016
The second and last term in office of Professor Peter Van den Bossche (Belgium) on the WTO Appellate Body is due to expire on 11 December 2017 and a vacancy will arise.
The European Union (EU) will nominate its candidate(s) for this vacancy on the basis of proposals from EU Member States. The European Commission has requested the Member States to submit such proposals by 3 January 2017.
Interested persons who are nationals of an EU Member State and who meet the requirements for the position of an Appellate Body member are invited to contact the relevant authorities in their Member State for further information (see list of contact points).
The persons proposed by the Member States will be considered by a selection panel, tasked with recommending the most suitable EU candidate(s) from among these persons in view of the requirements laid down in the WTO Agreements. The selection panel is expected to carry out its work as from the beginning of 2017. It will conduct its assessment on the basis of the candidates' curricula vitae and interviews with the short-listed candidates.
Background
Appellate Body members are appointed by WTO's Dispute Settlement Body for a four-year term. They may be reappointed once. The decision on appointment is made following a selection process at the WTO, on the basis of nominations made by WTO Members.
The WTO Agreements (Article 17.3 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding) stipulate inter alia that members of the Appellate Body must be persons of recognized authority, with demonstrated expertise in law, international trade and the subject matter of the WTO agreements generally. They must also be unaffiliated with any government (former affiliation is not an impediment) and, once appointed, available at all times and on short notice.
Please note that the European Commission will not reimburse the candidates' travel expenses for attending the interview with the selection panel. With regard to this issue, the respective Member State authorities may be contacted.
