Brussels, 14/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - With no agreement among member states, European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has delayed presenting proposals for the reform of Community trade defence measures (antidumping measures, anti-subsidy measures and safeguard measures) used to combat unfair competition from third countries. “I am not prepared to bring them forward unless and until greater consensus exists amongst the member states about the sort of reform they are prepared to embrace,” he told Reuters on Friday 11 January. The idea of a review of the EU trade defence armoury was put forward by Mandelson in December 2006 (see EUROPE 9322) as part of the Global Europe strategy (see EUROPE 9278). He intended to amend Community trade defence rules to bring greater transparency and to take account of the new requirements of the globalised economy, the idea being to take account of the interests also of producers who had relocated part of their production to third countries, importers/distributors and consumers, and not simply those of European producers operating within Community borders. To inform its review proposals, the European Commission, in December 2006, launched a public consultation exercise of stakeholders (member states, industry, importers/retailers and consumers). Responses revealed a wide divergence of opinion among stakeholders on how to proceed. In addition, the Commission was never able to silence criticism or convince a large part of European industry, which had always suspected it of wanting to go further. In November 2007, it even had to deny claims that it planned to exempt European companies which had relocated their production from trade defence measures (see EUROPE 9537). In a letter to Commission President José Manuel Barroso in June of last year, 10 industry representatives (including chemical, textile, metallurgical and fertiliser industries) accused Mandelson of using technical and bureaucratic ploys to minimise the use of trade defence instruments (see EUROPE 9438). Ultimately, companies, most of whose production is based within the Community, and several member states, led by France and Italy, have caused the commissioner to back down. Under their pressure, Barroso, not wishing to court controversy that could affect the ratification process of the new treaty by presenting an image of Europe scaling down its trade defence arsenal, called for plans to be delayed. “I cannot force people to agree and at the same time I don't want to bring forward proposals prematurely that would exacerbate differences among member states,” Mandelson said on Friday. He made it clear, however, that he was not giving up. (E.H.)