EU loses WTO suit over information technology

A World Trade Organization panel gave broad backing on Monday to the United States, Japan and Taiwan in their complaint over controversial European duties on electronics products, and told the EU and told Brussels to bring its trade measures into line with international rules.
The panel said that the EU had imposed the duties on flat-panel displays, multifunction printers and television set-top boxes in violation of the WTO's Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
The European Commission had already criticised the ruling even before it was published, repeating its view that negotiations on a comprehensive revision of the agreement were preferable to litigation on some aspects of it.