25/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European request - associated with that of 8 other countries - aimed at submitting the American so-called "Byrd Amendment" provision to an arbitration panel of the World trade Organisation was formally deposited in Geneva on Monday. The Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO immediately rejected it, given the American veto. Nevertheless, the special group will be created automatically, if the request is renewed at a forthcoming session of the DSB. The target of this unprecedented joint-approach, that the EU is undertaking with Australia, Brazil, Chile, India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand (soon Canada too and possibly Mexico), is the provision providing for re-paying anti-dumping and countervailing duties to firms that initiate such cases. Carlo Trojan, who represents the EU in Geneva, spoke of shared concerns, not only within industrialised countries but also the developing world. "It's a problem between the United States and the rest of the world", he stated, as had Commissioner Lamy last week.