14/1/2005
Commission Considers Relaxing Trade Measures To Relieve Tsunami Affected Countries

The European Union is actively considering ways to use trade policy to provide relief for regions and businesses affected by the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson said this week that he wanted to find ways to assist people and businesses hit by the tsunami. The localised nature of the damage posed real challenges in ensuring that relief hit the target, but there were trade measures the EU could use to assist rebuilding in the countries affected by the disaster, notably by speeding up measures to improve their access to EU markets.”

As far as immediate trade measures are concerned, the European Commission’s delegations in affected countries are working to identify businesses that are affected by EU trade defence measures such as anti-dumping duties. These could be reviewed, say the Commission, with the possibility of suspending them.

The Commission will also consider ways of re-orienting its trade related assistance to affected countries in order to help businesses boost exports. For example, helping affected businesses to comply with sanitary and food safety standards would be a way to offer valuable assistance in increasing exports.

Whilst the EU cannot make tariff concession for individual countries without contravening WTO rules, the European Commission has indicated that it is ready to support WTO-wide initiatives to agree on tariff concessions for the affected countries.