Brussels, 15/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, New Zealand lodged strenous protests against the obstacles to trade caused by the European Union's 'arbitrary' decision to subdivide the year for butter imports to the EU into two six-month periods. New Zealand hinted it might take the issue to Geneva. New Zealand trade minister Jim Sutton commented in a formal statement that concessions negotiated at the World Trade Organisation can never be subject to an arbitrary decision by one of New Zealand's trading partners. He slammed the fact that long-term contact between the New Zealand dairy industry and its European clientele had not been taken into account.