EU verbaasd over Noors proces bij WTO over Europese importtarieven op Noorse zalm (en)

The Norwegian ministry of foreign affairs announced on Tuesday (21 February) it will bring EU rules to curb salmon trade to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Last month the EU council decided to restrict Norwegian sales of salmon for five years, after commission investigators concluded the Norwegians were dumping their fish onto the EU market.

The council opted to introduce a minimum price of €2.8 per kilogram of fresh and frozen Norwegian salmon sold to EU consumers.

The European Commission reacted with surprise to the Norwegian move of taking the case to the WTO.

"We are at loss to understand why Norway has chosen to go down this particular route," commission spokesman for trade issues Peter Power said.

Trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has shown "a great degree of flexibility toward Norway in this case" he added.

Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Store remarked "We have indicated in our contacts with the EU that we regard the antidumping measures towards Norwegian salmon to violate WTO rules. Taking the case to the WTO for resolution will bring clarification."

On request of the UK and Ireland, the commission investigated in 2002 and 2003 a sample of ten representative producers representing about 40% of total Norwegian salmon exports to the EU.

More than half of Norwegian production was sold at huge losses, the survey concluded.

Oslo has rejected the dumping allegations and says the EU is trying to protect salmon farmers in Scotland and Ireland, which, unlike Norway, are members of the EU.