美国诉日本影响苹果进口措施案评析——兼论DSB的实践趋向

美国诉日本影响苹果进口措施案是WTO争端解决机构继欧共体荷尔蒙案、澳大利亚鲑鱼案、日本品种测试案三大经典案件之后审理的又一起SPS案件。与早期SPS案件的裁决相比,一方面,本案裁决将一系列新概念和新标准引入至《SPS协定》核心义务之中,从而更加明晰了协定相关条款的含义;另一方面,本案裁决中也反映出一些与先例不尽一致的解释内容与倾向,因而令人存有疑虑并有必要进一步予以明确。

The case of the Japan-Measures Affecting the Importation of Apples(Japan-Apples)is another SPS dispute that was brought to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body(DSB)after the three classic SPS cases,namely,European Communities-Hormones,Australia-Salmon and Japan-Varietals.In contrast with the decisions in the early SPS cases,on the one hand,the decision of Japan-Apples incorporated a series of new concepts and new criteria into the key obligations prescribed in the SPS Agreement,which consequently clarified the meanings of the relevant articles of the SPS Agreement;while on the other hand,the decision conveyed some explanations and tendencies that were inconsistent with those in the precedents and therefore became doubtful and were in need of further clarification.