Van Bael & Bellis

Trade, WTO

Philippe De Baere is the firm’s managing partner. His practice focuses on EU and WTO trade law as well as EU customs law and export controls.

EU and International Trade 

Philippe specialises in trade defence instruments and has been involved in most major EU anti-dumping, anti-circumvention and anti-subsidy proceedings since 1990. He represents clients before the European Commission, the EU General Court, the EU Court of Justice, WTO Panels and the WTO Appellate Body. Notable cases include MTZ Polyfilms v Council and Far Eastern Textile, Ltd. v Council, a case which addressed the use of zeroing methodologies in anti-dumping investigations. 

WTO

Philippe assists WTO Members in various WTO dispute settlement proceedings. Notable cases include: EC – Importation, Distribution and Sale of Bananas; EC – Pipe Fittings; India – Anti-Dumping Measures on Certain Products from Chinese Taipei; US – Continued Existence and Application of Zeroing Methodology; Dominican Republic-Safeguard Measures on Imports of Polypropylene Bags and Tubular Fabric; China - Definitive Anti-Dumping Duties on X-Ray Security Inspection Equipment from the EU; Russian Federation — Recycling Fee on Motor Vehicles  and Ukraine – Definitive Safeguard measures on certain passenger cars. Most notably, in the EC – Definitive Anti-Dumping Measures on Certain Iron or Steel Fasteners from China dispute, the WTO ruled that the EU’s Basic Anti-Dumping Regulation, as such, was incompatible with the EU’s WTO obligations. Philippe has regularly assisted governments during their WTO accession negotiations as well as during the Uruguay Round and Doha Round negotiations.

Customs and Export Controls

Philippe represents several large manufacturers of high technology products in disputes concerning customs classification, valuation and origin. Notable cases include Canon Europa v Commission, Kyocera Mita Europe v Commission and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe v Commission, a case in which the EU General Court took the unprecedented step of annulling a customs classification regulation in a direct action by the company concerned. In WTO disputes related to customs issues, Philippe successfully assisted Japan and Chinese Taipei in the EC – Tariff Treatment of Certain Information Technology Products dispute. He also advised the US in EC – Selected Customs Issues. 

He regularly lectures and writes on EU and international trade law matters. 

Philippe De Baere speaks English, Dutch, French and Spanish.

Member of the Brussels Bar

University of Leuven, Belgium – Research Fellow, International Trade Law University of Leuven, Belgium – Lic. Political Science, 1986 University of Antwerp & University of Leuven, Belgium – Law Degree, 1984