09/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - Last Thursday, the European Commission presented the Council of Ministers of the EU with a proposal to add four Pakistani companies to the list of cotton bed linen exporting producers which benefit from a weighted average antidumping duty of 5.8%. Through Regulation 397/2004, the Council imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports into the Community of cotton-type bed linen originating in Pakistan. Given the large number of exporting producers, a sample was established during the subsequent review investigation. The review, as concluded by Council Regulation (695/2006), established new individual duty rates ranging from 0% to 8.5%. Other cooperating companies not included in the sample were attributed the weighted average duty rate of 5.8%. Regulation 397/2004 allows Pakistani exporting producers, which meet the three criteria set out in the same Article, to be granted the same treatment as the cooperating companies not included in the sample (new exporting producer treatment). Eighteen Pakistani companies have requested new exporting producer treatment and their names are added to the list of companies subject to the weighted average duty of 5.8%. According to the Commission, only four meet these criteria. Text of the proposal at: http: //eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/fr/com/2007/com2007_0388fr01.pdf. (ol)