The European Union could soon revoke anti-dumping duties on seamless tubes from Croatia, ensure a more favourable treatment of Croatian goods on the Central European Free Trade Agreement market and initiate the lifting of the ban on pork imports from Croatia, Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Neven Mimica said in Brussels on Tuesday after talks with European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht.
"For two and a half of these three issues we have De Gucht's clear and promising positions that they will be dealt with in the way we think they should," said Mimica.
The EU imposed in 2006 a 29.8 per cent anti-dumping duty on seamless tubes made in Sisak's steel mill which made the owner, the US company CMC, close down the mill and look for a new owner.
De Gucht assured us that the European Commission understands that the reasons which prompted the anti-dumping duty have changed as well as that Croatia is about to join the EU, Mimica said, adding that the Commission would soon initiate the revocation of the duty in the Council of the EU.
This is an important issue, as CMC is looking for a new owner and not many are interested, since the European market is practically closed because of the anti-dumping duty, Mimica said, adding that the government had kept its promise that it would create room for private initiatives.
He and De Gucht also discussed the export of agricultural products on the CEFTA market after Croatia joins the EU. Bosnia and Serbia are important markets for Croatia and duties on its products would make them less competitive.
Croatia must leave CEFTA the day it joins the EU. The EU has signed Stabilisation and Association agreements with each CEFTA country which allow them to retain duties on imports from the EU while exporting nearly all of their goods duty-free.
Mimica said De Gucht informed him that consultations would soon be launched with CEFTA countries on an appendix to the Stabilisation and Association agreements which would include the protection of Croatian exports.
As for the export of live pigs and pork, De Gucht pledged to advocate that the European Commission send a mission to Croatia as soon as possible to see that the reasons for the export ban have ceased to exist.
The EU imposed the ban seven years ago because Croatia was vaccinating pigs against swine fever, which is prohibited in the EU. Croatia has aligned its practice and legislation with EU standards during the accession negotiations and now expects this to be officially confirmed so that it can export pigs and pork freely.
