The EU has failed to eliminate billions of dollars in illegal aid to Airbus, according to the World Trade Organisation¹, handing US rival Boeing one of the biggest triumphs on the global stage in its 12-year battle with the European aircraft maker².

世界贸易组织(WTO)称，欧盟(EU)未能消除向空客(Airbus)提供的巨额非法援助，这令其美国竞争对手波音(Boeing)在全球舞台上收获了与这家欧洲飞机制造商12年角力的最重大胜利之一。

The WTO also found Airbus’s newest passenger jet, its popular A350 which competes head to head with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, would never have flown without the “direct and indirect effects” of past EU subsidies³.

WTO还发现，如果没有过去欧盟补贴的“直接和间接影响”，空客颇受欢迎的最新客机A350将根本不会飞上天空。这种机型正与波音的787梦幻客机(787 Dreamliner)展开正面竞争。

Washington, which claims the WTO ruling applies to some $22bn in illegal aid, hailed the findings as a “sweeping⁴ victory” that would redress⁵ years of damage to the US aerospace⁶ industry from wrongful European subsidies.

美国声称，这项WTO裁决适用于大约220亿美元的非法援助，美国称裁决内容代表着“压倒性胜利”，将补偿美国航空航天业多年来因欧洲非法补贴遭受的损失。

The European Commission insisted parts of the panel’s analysis were flawed and said it was considering an appeal. “We are closely analysing the report,” said an EU spokesman, noting two other WTO rulings are expected in coming months on billions of dollars in US subsidies for Boeing.

欧盟委员会(European Commission)坚称，WTO小组委员会的部分分析存在缺陷，并表示正考虑上诉。“我们正认真分析这份报告，”一位欧盟发言人表示，他指出预计未来几个月WTO将围绕美国对波音的巨额补贴做出另外两项裁决。

The row has long been one of the most contentious⁷ battles in the global trade system. The dispute reached a head in 2010 and 2011 when the WTO ruled both Boeing — which won government money through contracts for defence and space business — and Airbus — which received aid to launch many aircraft repayable on delivery — had collected billions in unlawful assistance.

长期以来，双方的争端一直是全球贸易体系中最具争议的纠纷之一。双方的争端在2010年和2011年达到高潮，当时WTO裁决，波音和空客都收取了数十亿美元的非法援助；波音通过军工和航天业务合约获得政府资金，而空客获得援助研发新型飞机，在飞机交付时才偿还贷款。

Thursday’s ruling determined⁸ the EU failed to comply with the 2011 order to unwind the illegal assistance within six months. If the ruling stands, the US would have the right to impose tariffs⁹ on any goods imported from the EU; Washington has threatened levies¹⁰ totalling $10bn.

周四的裁决认定，欧盟未能遵照2011年的命令在6个月内消除非法援助。如果裁决成立，美国将有权对从欧盟进口的任何商品征收关税。美国已威胁将征收总计100亿美元的关税。

The ruling was not a total victory for Washington. The WTO rejected US claims that support from the four countries where Airbus planes are built — France, Germany, the UK and Spain — for the A350 or Airbus’s troubled A380 superjumbo constituted prohibited export subsidies.

这项裁决并非美国的全面胜利。WTO否决了美国的下列指控，即4个空客飞机制造地国家（法国、德国、英国和西班牙）对A350以及空客陷入困境的A380超大客机的支持构成了非法出口补贴。

Still, Michael Froman, the US trade representative, said it vindicated¹¹ American claims that its aerospace industry had been wrongly harmed by government support for Airbus.

然而，美国贸易代表迈克尔•弗罗曼(Michael Froman)表示，裁决支持美国的指控：美国航空业因空客获得政府支持而遭受不公正损害。