On 19 December 2014, the European Union requested consultations with the United States with respect to conditional tax incentives established by the State of Washington in relation to the development, manufacture, and sale of large civil aircraft.
The European Union alleges that the measures constitute specific subsidies within the meaning of Articles 1 and 2 of the SCM Agreement. The European Union also considers that the measures are prohibited subsidies that are inconsistent with Articles 3.1(b) and 3.2 of the SCM Agreement.
On 12 February 2015, the European Union requested the establishment of a panel.
Panel and Appellate Body proceedings
At its meeting on 23 February 2015, the DSB established a panel. Brazil, China, India, Japan, Korea and the Russian Federation reserved their third-party rights. Subsequently, Australia and Canada reserved their third-party rights.
On 13 April 2015, the European Union requested the Director-General to compose the panel. On 22 April 2015, the Director-General composed the panel. On 29 September 2015, the Chairperson of the Panel informed the DSB that it estimated to issue its report within 12 months. On 23 September 2016, the Chairperson of the Panel informed the DSB that the final report was to be circulated to all Members by the end of November 2016.
On 28 November 2016, the panel report was circulated to Members.
Summary of key findings
This dispute concerns legislation enacted in the state of Washington in the United States in November 2013 through Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5952 (ESSB 5952), which amended and extended various tax incentives for the aerospace industry. The European Union identified seven separate tax incentives, including a reduced business and occupation tax rate, credits against business taxation, and exemptions from various other taxes in the state of Washington.
The European Union claimed that those tax incentives are prohibited under Articles 3.1(b) and 3.2 of the SCM Agreement as subsidies that are contingent on the use of domestic over imported goods. According to the European Union, the contingency results from two siting provisions contained in ESSB 5952, namely a First Siting Provision and a Second Siting Provision. In the European Union’s view, the challenged aerospace tax measures are de jure contingent upon the use of domestic over imported goods inasmuch as the text of the relevant legislation sets out the prohibited contingency. The European Union also made a secondary claim that the aerospace tax measures are de facto contingent upon the use of domestic over imported goods.
The Panel found that, under each of the aerospace tax measures at issue, there is a financial contribution by the Washington State government and a benefit is thereby conferred. The Panel concluded therefore that each of the aerospace tax measures at issue constitutes a subsidy within the meaning of Article 1 of the SCM Agreement.
With respect to the European Union’s de jure claim against the aerospace tax measures at issue, the Panel looked separately at the First Siting Provision and the Second Siting Provision contained in ESSB 5952, to assess whether the European Union had successfully demonstrated the existence of the prohibited contingency in either of the provisions. In this regard, the Panel concluded that the European Union had not demonstrated that, on their own, and based on their express terms, the First Siting Provision or the Second Siting Provision make the challenged aerospace tax measures de jure contingent upon the use of domestic over imported goods.
The Panel subsequently considered the two siting provisions acting jointly and concluded that the European Union had not demonstrated that, acting together, the First Siting Provision and the Second Siting Provision make the challenged aerospace tax measures de jure contingent upon the use of domestic over imported goods.
With respect to the European Union’s de facto claim against the aerospace tax measures at issue, the Panel considered the joint operation of the First Siting Provision and the Second Siting Provision contained in ESSB 5952, to assess whether the European Union had successfully demonstrated the existence of the prohibited contingency. The Panel concluded that the siting provisions in ESSB 5952, and in particular the prospective modalities of operation of Washington State Department of Revenue’s discretion under the Second Siting Provision, make one of the challenged aerospace tax measures (namely, the reduced business and occupation tax rate for the manufacturing or sale of commercial airplanes under the 777X programme) de facto contingent upon the use of domestic over imported goods within the meaning of Article 3.1(b) of the SCM Agreement.
Having found that the reduced business and occupation tax rate for the manufacturing or sale of commercial airplanes under the 777X programme is inconsistent with Article 3.1(b) of the SCM Agreement, the Panel also found that the United States has acted inconsistently with Article 3.2 of the SCM Agreement.
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