Brussels, 21/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - After Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, France takes the matter of a rise in steel prices worldwide before the European Commission. Nicolas Sarkozy, French Minister of the Economy, said "I have formally taken the matter before the European Commissioner (…) calling on him to examine as soon as possible the trade policy instruments that are available to us, in compliance with our international obligations". The rise in steel prices is "due to the rise in demand in China, linked to its industrial growth", Arancha Gonzalez, Spokesperson for Commissioner Pascal Lamy said on Wednesday. "If Mr Sarkozy's services have any ideas about using trade measures (…) then we are willing to look at them", she said. "I read in the press that there is price fixing", but, if an anti-cartel inquiry is to be opened by the competition services, "there must be elements of proof", she added.