Brussels, 17/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - Last week, the European Commission adopted its 24th annual report to the Parliament on Community anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures. The report refers to 2005, the first year of the new enlarged Commission. It states that, when it comes to trade defence activity, 2005 was an “average year in trade defence activity in terms of the initiation of new cases and the number of measures imposed”. However, the number of measures that expired during the year significantly increased, bringing the number of measures in force back to 147, compared to 156 in 2004 - “reflecting the different stage in the economic cycle for the global economy compared to the end of the 1990s”. The year was “eventful” in a number of other aspects such as the preparation of the EU's 2007 enlargement and the safeguard case on textile products and salmon, the Commission also points out. The report shows the EU's moderate use of trade defence instruments, while confirming its practice of ensuring that investigations are rigorously and professionally carried out. At the same time, where proven, the EU is ready to take a tough stand against unfair trade practices. The report also stresses that transparency goes hand in hand with the rigorous application of trade defence instruments, reflecting changes made to the legislative framework in 2004 and 2005. The Commission is committed to pursuing such a line in the future. The full text of the report is available at:
http: //http://www.europarl.europa.eu/registre/docs/_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2007/
0171/COM_COM(2007)0171_EN.pdf. The complete and detailed working document on which the report was developed may be consulted at: http: //ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/2/2007/EN/2-2007-440-EN-1-0.Pdf. (ol)