WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2969/97 by Phillip WHITEHEAD to the Commission. Anti-dumping investigation into imports of unbleached cotton fabrics from China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey
Date: 1997-09-17
Institutions: European Parliament, WHITEHEAD
Subjects: World Trade Organisation, anti-dumping duty, anti-dumping legislation, complaint to the Commission, cotton, economic survey, import, originating product, textile product, third country

16. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 117/117

As  the  Honourable  Member  is  aware,  the  Commission(cid:146)s  actions  in  the  field  of  cultural  heritage  are  now
contained  in  the  Raphae¤l  programme,  through  which  ›  as  Article  128  of  the  EC  Treaty  stipulates  ›  the
Community can only encourage cooperation between its Member States to implement actions in favour of the
preservation of Europe(cid:146)s cultural heritage. However, the Community and the Commission in particular does not
have the competence to intervene at national or regional level and in matters where the responsibility belongs
exclusively to the national or regional authorities.

In this light, any action for the protection of the cultural, ethnographical and archaeological aspects of mount
Tindaya belongs exclusively to the responsibility of the national or regional authorities of Spain.

In this context, the Commission does not consider that the projects of this kind run counter to the thinking of the
Raphae¤l programme, as its objective is to encourage cooperation between Member States in the field of cultural
heritage conservation.

(98/C 117/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2969/97

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(17 September 1997)

Subject: Anti-dumping  investigation  into  imports  of  unbleached  cotton  fabrics  from  China,  Egypt,  India,

Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey

On  11  July  1997  the  Commission  decided  to  open  a  new  anti-dumping  (AD)  investigation  into  imports  of
unbleached cotton fabrics from 7 non-EU Member States, in spite of the fact that EU cotton weavers have twice
before failed to have definitive anti-dumping duties imposed.

Can the Commission explain why it has accepted a third complaint, so soon after the previous complaint was
rejected?

Will  the  Commission  confirm  whether  it  intends  to  impose  interim  duties  while  the  third  complaint  is  being
investigated?  If  it  does  impose  interim  duties,  is  not  the  Commission  concerned  that,  in  repeating  its
investigations, it is encouraging serial complaints by interested parties?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 1997)

An anti-dumping investigation on imports of unbleached cotton fabrics originating in Egypt, India, Indonesia,
Pakistan, China and Turkey was opened on 11 July 1997.

Although the Council did not impose definitive measures in the previous case concerning cotton fabrics, the
Commission is obliged, under the Community(cid:146)s anti-dumping legislation, to open an anti-dumping proceeding
when a major proportion of Community producers lodges a complaint showing prima facie evidence of dumping
and  resulting  injury.  This  was  the  case  here.  There  is  no  provision  in  this  legislation  that  would  allow  the
Commission to reject a sufficiently substantiated complaint on the basis that the Council had previously decided
against the imposition of definitive duties on imports relating to a different investigation period. In this respect,
the  opening  of  the  current  investigation  is  fully  in  line  with  the  World  trade  organisation  rules  governing
anti-dumping.

At this early stage in the proceeding, it is impossible for the Commission to indicate whether or not provisional
duties will be imposed. It is currently collecting the requisite information concerning the different aspects of this
case (dumping, injury and Community interest). In any event, the Honourable Member can be assured that this
proceeding, like all others, is conducted on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory basis.