Brussels, 17/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Council has still not presented a common position on the draft adaptation of trade defence instruments tabled by the Commission in April 2013. The next European Parliament will be responsible for completing an agreement on this dossier.
By adopting the report by Christofer Fjellner (EPP, Sweden) by a massive vote in favour (535 for, 85 against, with 24 abstentions) on Wednesday 16 April, the European Parliament has consolidated its position on this sensitive dossier that has been blocked at the Council, before the end of the current legislature. The customary divergences at the Council between free trade member states and those from the south prevented the EU28 from defining a common position on this dossier and therefore from negotiating in trilogue with the Parliament since adoption of its negotiating mandate last February (see EUROPE 11012). The rapporteur said that “the disagreements between member states did not allow for adoption of this very controversial text during the seventh legislature, which is disappointing. The Council must find a way to have confidence in the EU's trade defence arsenal adapted to international trade in an increasingly globalised economy.”
The important point in the amendments to the Commission text includes the Parliament's proposal to modify trade defence rules in a way that ensures that the level of sanctions applicable to imported goods subject to dumping or benefiting from subsidies is defined according to the level of application by the exporting country, social and environmental standards, and on the basis of international agreements on this. At the same time, the EU has to apply more moderate rules by using the lesser duty rule when subsidised products, or those subject to dumping, come from a less developed country. The Parliament also wants the revised arsenal of trade defence measures to help SMEs more by setting up an assistance service that will help them lodge complaints, meet the necessary thresholds to open an investigation, and present proof of dumping. MEPs advocate swifter responses to unfair trade practices by requiring that the anti-dumping investigations and those on anti-subsidies be limited to 9 months (as opposed to the 15 months in the initial proposal) and that temporary duties be imposed six months after opening the investigation (as opposed to the nine months in the initial proposal). The Parliament also supports the proposal by the European Commission to commence an investigation when there is a threat of reprisals (ex officio investigations). (EH)