EU Government Notices for April 18-19

April 19, 2012 by Mythili Sampathkumar|International Sources

The European Union issued the following trade-related releases on April 18-19, 2012 (notices of most significance will be given separate headlines):

Recovered duties from fraudulent Chinese imports. A network of companies fraudulently importing Chinese tube and pipe fittings via several countries in South East Asia to evade high EU customs duties was discovered in investigations carried out by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and authorities in several EU Member States, in cooperation with Indian and Taiwanese customs. The investigations led to the recovery of 9 million euros in customs duties and were followed up by criminal proceedings in Germany and the U.K. OLAF investigations into the import of tube and pipe fittings from China were triggered by information from Commission services, the EU industry concerned and the customs authorities in several EU Member States. (here)
New Trade Hearing Officer position. The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, adopted a decision regarding the function and terms of the position of Trade Hearing Officer. The primary role of the hearing officer is to guarantee the protection of rights of all parties and ensure that the rules are implemented in an objective and transparent manner in trade proceedings, such trade defense proceedings, temporary withdrawal of preferences under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Regulation, etc. The hearing officer is attached to the European Commissioner for Trade, not as a member of the cabinet but in a separate function. (here)
Recalls. The European Commission has issued its weekly list of measures to prevent or restrict the marketing or use of about 25 products in the EU, including certain electrical appliances, toys, and lighting products. (here)