Brussels, 12/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - It will finally be Tuesday, the deadline set, that the European Commission will submit, in Geneva, its request for authorisation to impose penalties against the United States' for its failure to respect the verdict of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) establishing the fact that its so-called Byrd Amendment was illegal. US authorities have still not repealed this Law of 2000 which allows them to pay back to US producers involved in anti-dumping or anti-subsidy procedures the sum of the surcharges imposed on incriminated foreign competitors, thus deploying double protection against unfair practices. For the time being, it is stressed at the Commission, the request for approval is an act that is purely a matter of procedure, intended to safeguard the EU's right and that of the other complainants (Japan, Canada, China, Australia, Brazil, India, Chile, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and Mexico, which won the case) to impose disciplinary action in this affair. This procedure must be complied with if they plan to take retaliatory measures. Opposition to this from the United States is only to be expected. The United States is calling for intervention from the international arbiter, it is said in Brussels and Geneva.