The European Union has filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization objecting to the billions of dollars in state tax subsidies that Washington State has given to Boeing. The EU contends the subsidies are illegal because they discriminate against foreign suppliers by requiring Boeing to use local suppliers.
“Under WTO rules, the United States has 60 days to try to deal with the EU’s concerns in bilateral talks. After that period, the EU could ask the WTO to set up a panel of three adjudicators to rule on its complaint. That would probably take until 2016 at least, although the WTO’s dispute system is already congested, and any judgment could be followed by an appeal.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/19/us-eu-usa-boeing-idUSKBN0JX1T120141219
It should be noted the U.S. has complained for years about European subsidies to Airbus, so this is merely tit-for-tat. In any case, I doubt very much that WTO poobahs give a hoot about taxpayers in Washington State or anywhere else. We little people are just sheep waiting to be sheared by corporations.
