The Repsol Ypf case will be discussed at length. If in Argentina the majority of public opinion and 21 out of 24 governors support Prime Minister Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's decision to nationalize the oil company, previously controlled by the Spanish group Repsol, the Western world trembles at such a claim to state sovereignty. At the forefront of defending the Spanish position, which supports Repsol in the request for compensation of 8 billion euros, is the European Commission.
Commissioner Karel de Gucht said today that the Union does not rule out preparing a case before the WTO against the "trade restrictions" imposed by Argentina. The expropriation of 51% of Repsol by the Argentine government is "a cause of considerable concern", reads a letter to the Casa Rosada from de Gucht. The commissioner said the Commission will do everything to support the Spanish government in order to obtain "full compensation". Resorting to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is one of the fastest and most used procedures for resolving international disputes.
