22.8.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 207/3
(14)
In parallel, upon initiation, the Commission made the questionnaires for the exporting producers, the unrelated importers, the users and the Union producers available online.
It also sent the macro data questionnaire to the complainants.
Questionnaires were also made available to unrelated importers and users on the same DG Trade’s website (9).
(15)
All parties were invited to make their views known, submit information and provide supporting evidence within the time limits set out in the Notice of Initiation.
Interested parties had also the opportunity to comment on the initiation of the investigation and to request a hearing with the Commission and/or the Hearing Officer in trade proceedings.
1.7.
Sampling
1.7.1.
Sampling of exporting producers in the PRC (16)
In the Notice of Initiation of the expiry review investigation, the Commission stated that it might sample exporting producers in accordance with Article 27 of the basic Regulation.
(17)
To decide whether sampling was necessary and, if so, to select a sample, the Commission asked all exporting producers in the PRC to provide the information specified in the Notice of Initiation.
No exporting producer came forward.
(18)
In addition, the Commission asked the Mission of the PRC to the European Union to identify and/or contact other exporting producers, if any, that would be interested in participating in the investigation.
However, no response was provided.
(19)
Consequently, the Commission informed the authorities of the PRC that absent cooperation, it intended to resort to the use of facts available under Article 28 of the basic Regulation when examining the continuation or recurrence of subsidisation.
The authorities of the PRC did not respond.
1.7.2.
Sampling of Union producers (20)
In the Notice of Initiation of the expiry review investigation, the Commission stated that it had provisionally selected a sample of Union producers.
The Commission selected the sample on the basis of the representativity in terms of volume of production and sales of the like product in the EU between 1 January and 31 December 2021.
This sample consisted of 3 Union producers.
The sampled Union producers accounted for approximately 41 % of the estimated total volume of production and 37 % of the estimated sales of the like product in the Union.
The Commission invited interested parties to comment on the provisional sample.
No comments were received on the provisional sample and the provisional sample was therefore confirmed.
The sample is representative of the Union industry.
1.7.3.
Sampling of unrelated importers (21)
To decide whether sampling was necessary and, if so, to select a sample, the Commission asked all known unrelated importers to provide the information specified in the Notice of Initiation.
However, no importer co-operated with the Commission and provided the requested information.
1.8.
Questionnaires and verification visits (22)
The Commission sent a questionnaire to the Government of the People’s Republic of China (‘GOC’).
No questionnaire reply was received.
(9) https://tron.trade.ec.europa.eu/investigations/case-view?caseId=2616