The FT reports:
The European Union will next week launch an appeal against a World Trade Organisation ruling that found EU members were illegally subsidising Airbus.
...
People familiar with the dispute said the EU appeal will focus on alleged export subsidies for the A380, Airbus’s largest jumbo launched in 2007.
It will also challenge the WTO’s findings on how the alleged aid to Airbus impacted its US competitor. A third line of appeal will question whether state funding for infrastructure that Airbus used, such as specially-built runways used for testing, should be counted as direct subsidy, as the trade body found.
The A380 part relates to the findings that the German, Spanish and UK A380 contracts were prohibited export subsidies (Article 3.1(a)); and the impact on the U.S. competitor part is about the "adverse effects"/"serious prejudice" caused by the subsidies, in particular "displacement" of U.S. sales in the EC and third country markets, and "lost sales" more generally (Articles 6.3(a),(b), and (c)).
I'm not sure exactly what is meant with regard to infrastructure subsidies, but I would guess it has to do with either the "general infrastructure" standard in Article 1.1(a)(1)(iii), related to "financial contribution," or specificity under Article 2 (or both).
And for those who are wondering, our DSC for this case should be ready soon.
