MOSCOW, March 25 (RAPSI) – The WTO's dispute settlement body on Wednesday decided to set up a panel of arbiters to rule on European Union complaint over Russian import duties on a number of products, TASS reported on Wednesday.

In late October last year, the EU filed a complaint with the WTO over Russia’s excessive import duties, in particular on paper products, refrigerators and palm oil.

The Russian delegation said at a committee meeting that the complaint could be settled through consultation, however, the sides failed to reach a settlement. The EU filed a second complaint after Russian representatives blocked the first complaint on March 10. Acting in accordance with an established procedure, the WTO decided to convene a panel of arbiters to consider the EU complaint.

The panel will have six months to consider the issue.

Russia is involved in seven cases of litigation at the WTO. Five of them have been initiated against Russia: two complaints on the utilization fee, one regarding a ban on pork imports, one complaint on LCV import duties, and one on the allegedly excessive import duties on palm oil, paper products and refrigerators.

Russia has filed two complaints against the EU: one on energy adjustments during anti-dumping investigations and the other on the Third Energy Package.