Brussels, 25/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - During Monday's meeting of Member States' Permanent Representatives to the EU (Coreper), the Committee applied qualified majority voting aiming to put in place temporary defence mechanisms in the European shipyard sector in an effort to react again South Korean anti-dumping. France finally gave its support to the Presidency's compromise with the inclusion of methane carries in the field of application (although public aid cannot be granted until after the results of a Commission report on the market situation in 2002), while five delegations (three Scandinavian countries, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands) withdrew their opposition to this proposal.
Other changes to the Commission proposal include: the extension of the length of time for implementing the measure (in order to take into account of the slow development of the case of actions taken to the WTO by the Community against Korea; there is only one kind of support corresponding to the 6% ceiling of contractual aid before aid can be authorised, whereas the initial proposal envisaged in exceptional circumstances, support that could reach a maximum of 14% of the contractual value. This document is expected to be approved without debate during the Agriculture Council on Thursday, unless the Spanish Presidency does not accede to the request made by the Dutch delegation that seeks to discuss this case at the Council.