Brussels, 08/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - Next week, the EU will call upon the WTO to authorise retaliatory measures against US trade as disciplinary action for the United States' failure to comply with the verdict that the Byrd Amendment was illegal. The Amendment allows American producers involved in anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures to benefit from surcharges imposed on their foreign competitors. The Union and the many other countries that won the issue in Geneva must submit their requests for authorisation to Geneva within thirty days following the end of the grace period granted to the United States for repealing the legislation process. The period of reprieve came to an end on 27 December 2003.