RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DS27/4
28February 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0735)
Original: Spanish
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES -REGIME FOR THE IMPORTATION,
SALE AND DISTRIBUTION OFBANANAS
Communication from Nicaragua
Thefollowing communication, dated 21February 1996, from thePermanent Mission of
Nicaragua tothePermanent Delegation oftheEuropean Commission andtotheChairman oftheDSB,
iscirculated attherequest ofthePermanent Mission ofNicaragua.
_______________
TheGovernment ofNicaragua takes noteoftherequest forconsultations made byEcuador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico andtheUnited States inconnection withtheEuropean Communities '
regime fortheimportation, saleanddistribution ofbananas, established inRegulation 404/93 andthe
legislation implementing, supplementing andamending it,which includes theFramework Agreement
onBananas (Commission Regulation (EC) No.3290/94, OJL349).
Thebanana industry isamajor source offoreign exchange andprovides employment fora
significant sector oftheNicaraguan population. Forthisreason, myGovernment hasasubstantial
tradeinterest intheconsultations inquestion, inasmuch astheEuropean Union has,overthepastdecade,
constituted theonlymarket forNicaraguan banana exports. Accordingly, anychange thatdoesnot
takedueaccount ofNicaragua 'sinterests could haveserious effects onitseconomy.
Consequent upon thissubstantial trade interest andpursuant totheterms ofArticle 6ofthe
Agreement onImport Licensing Procedures, Article 4oftheDispute Settlement Understanding and
otherrulesapplicableinthismatter,theGovernmentofNicaraguawishestobejoinedinthisconsultation
procedure.