Norwegian fisheries minister says salmon industry must ‘stand firm’ if case is brought before the WTO – Fishupdate.com

Norwegian fisheries minister says salmon industry must ‘stand firm’ if case is brought before the WTO Published:  25 January, 2006

NORWEGIAN fisheries and coastal minister Helga Pedersen has said the country’s salmon industry must stand firm if the EU minimum import price issue goes to the WTO (World Trade Organisation).

Speaking at the ‘Salmondays’ meeting held at Hell this week, Ms Pedersen said it is likely that the Norwegian government will take the issue to the WTO. She said Norway has a strong case and that the Norwegian authorities believe that the EU trade measures are not

legitimate.

Ms Pedersen said the process of taking the dispute to the WTO may be long and drawn out, and could take longer than 18 months to conclude. She urged the industry to fight alongside the authorities until the case is resolved.

The minister said it is unacceptable that for more than 15 years the EU has tried to limit the development of a “robust and competitive” industry in this way. She added that it is unacceptable that the EU is implementing trade limiting measures without satisfying the demands that are in force under the rules of the WTO. She said bringing the case before the WTO is, in reality, the only remaining solution that has not been tried in the antidumping case.

Ms Pedersen said that the amount of publicity Norwegian salmon has had recently shows how important the industry is for the Norwegian economy and employment along the coast. Secondly, it shows where the greatest challenges are for the salmon industry, namely to safeguard market access, the minister added.

She said the government wants Norway to become one of the leading, innovative, dynamic and knowledge-based economies in the whole world within the areas where it has precedence.

In addition, she spoke about how Norway is working on getting free trade agreements with new markets. Free trade agreements with Korea and South Africa are to be implemented on July 1 this year.

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