Multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement
Also called: MPIA · Topic: International Trade Policy, WTO and Intellectual Property · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) is a stop-gap appeal system set up in 2020, led by the EU. The WTO's Appellate Body has been non-functional since 11 December 2019, because the US blocks new appointments. Under the MPIA, members agree to settle appeals among themselves through arbitration under DSU Art. 25, a provision of the WTO dispute rules. This keeps two-tier dispute settlement alive for those members. It applies only among members that join. India has not joined.
Example
If two MPIA members lose a panel case against each other, the loser can appeal to MPIA arbitrators and get a binding result. India is not in the MPIA. When it lost the export-incentives case (DS541, 2019), it could appeal to the non-functional Appellate Body instead, which froze the ruling.
Don't confuse with
- Appellate Body: the Appellate Body is the WTO's permanent 7-member appeal court, open to all members. The MPIA is a temporary arrangement only among the countries that sign up.
Related concepts
- Multilateral trade agreements
- Rule-based trading regime
- Multilateralism
- Plurilateral agreement
- Non-discrimination principle
- Most-favoured-nation principle
- National treatment
- Exceptions to MFN
- Enabling clause
- Generalised System of Preferences