The European Commission is set to propose an end to the
five-year anti-dumping duties on Chinese energy-saving lightbulbs,
a spokesman said on Thursday.
A group of trade experts at the EU's executive body have been
debating whether to drop the anti-dumping duties for several months
as the trade defense measure against lightbulbs made in China was
introduced for five years in 2001.
Peter Power, a spokesman for EU Trade Commissioner Peter
Mandelson, said a majority of specialists support the end to the
anti-dumping duties as the five-year period has expired.
"The outcome of the discussions puts the commission in a
position to proceed with a formal proposal to end the duties," he
said.
Some European bulb makers have been pressing had for a renewal
of the duties for another five years, but the measure was
criticized by environmentalists as unjustified in EU's fight
against global warming.
EU member states will give a final say to the issue, based on
the commission's proposal.
The 27-nation bloc has launched a review of its trade defense
policy, notably anti-duping measures. As an increasing number of EU
companies now invest in China, the EU wants to have a second
thought on whether such measures would hurt its own
interests.?????
(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2007)
