April 25, 2008

Scotland urges EU to retain anti-dumping measures
 

Scotland has appealed to the European Commission on Wednesday for the retaining of the anti-dumping measures in a bid to protect Scottish salmon producers from Norwegian competition.

The EU imposed minimum import prices on Norwegian farmed salmon in 2006, as they were sold at very low prices which in turn hurts the profitability of Scottish and Irish producers.

Scotland believes that the policy has been helpful and therefore it should stay, according to Michael Russell, environmental minister for Scotland's regional government.

Already the Irish producers are prepared to mobilise voters to vote against the EU's new Lisbon Treaty in a referendum in June should the measures be removed.

Scottish and Irish producers are also worried as Norwegian producers are using their aquaculture licenses as collateral for taking out bank loans, which hints at Norwegian output expansion and a likely fall in salmon prices.

Resources should be equally available to Scottish companies and if the measures are removed, the EU has to ensure it can be quickly implemented again in times of need so that there can be a fair market, said Russell.

He added that the biggest fish-farming companies in Scotland are often Norwegian-owned.

Norway denied that its salmon producers broke any trade regulations and has appealed to the World Trade Organisation which last year found that the EU had mishandled the salmon dumping case in several ways.

The European Commission had begun to review whether it should keep the minimum import prices last year, and European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is due to make his decision.

The EU is Norway's largest seafood export market.