On Thursday 12 October, MEPs from the European Parliament's international trade committee approved (with 31 votes in favour, 2 against and 5 abstentions) the political agreement – concluded on 3 October between the Estonian Presidency of the EU Council, negotiators from the European Parliament and European Commission – on the new EU methodology for calculating anti-dumping duties. This is based on an assessment of the market distortions in third countries where state intervention in the economy is significant.
This new methodology is neutral with regard to the third countries and is in full compliance with the EU's WTO obligations through its removal of the previous distinction between market and non-market economies in the anti-dumping calculation. The European Commission will instead have to prove the existence of a significant market distortion between a product's sales price and its cost of production.
A European Parliament press release says that the new EU anti-dumping legislation will be the first to take account of international standards on labour and the environment. Furthermore, MEPs have ensured that EU companies do not have to bear any additional burden of proof in anti-dumping cases. They have also ensured that unions can have their say in the decisions on trade defence measures, the press release states.
The draft legislation will be put to the whole Parliament for formal adoption in November. It will also have to be approved by the EU Council of Ministers in order to enter into force. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)