India has filed its appeal in the World Trade Organisation against the decision of a compliance panel in the case relating to anti-dumping duty imposed by the European Union on its cotton bed linen.

Official sources in New Delhi said that India had on Wednesday filed its appeal before the appellate body in the WTO against the decision given in European Union's favour by the compliance panel in November 2002.

The report had ruled that EU had fully complied with the recommendations of a WTO Dispute Settlement Body in March 2001 concering EU's anti-dumping measures on imports of cotton bed linen.

The implementation panel rejected all claims made by India against the EU's implementation measures.

Meanwhile, India's request for the setting up of a panel against European Union's Generalised System of Preferences is also slated for approval later this month at the next meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body.

India had last month filed a request for the setting up of a panel against EU's GSP regime on grounds that the regime was 'not non-discriminatory' and that benefits given under the scheme to Pakistan's textiles and apparel had led to trade diversion to the extent of euro250 million last year.

While the appellate board is expected to give its verdict within the next two-three months, the panel is expected to finalise its findings over the next nine months, they added.