Since consultations with the EU have not led to a mutually satisfactory settlement of the salmon dispute, the Norwegian authorities have today requested the WTO to establish a panel in the salmon dispute between Norway and the EU.

“We are now taking the next step in the salmon dispute with the EU. We consider the EU anti-dumping measures against Norwegian salmon to be in conflict with WTO rules and have requested an independent assessment by a WTO panel. I hope this will lead to the termination of the anti-dumping measures and to the normalisation of the situation for Norwegian salmon on the EU market,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

On 21 January 2006 the EU Council adopted a regulation imposing anti-dumping measures on imports of farmed salmon from Norway. The measures will remain in effect for five years and establish a minimum import price of EUR 2.80 per kilogram for whole fresh and frozen farmed salmon from Norway.

On 20 February the Government decided to bring the EU’s decision to impose definitive anti-dumping measures against Norwegian salmon before the WTO, as the dialogue with the EU Commission aimed at reaching a mutually satisfactory settlement proved unsuccessful. This followed a request by the salmon farming industry for the authorities to bring the matter before the WTO.

As a first step in the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, on 17 and 27 March Norway requested consultations with the EU. Consultations were held in Geneva on 12 May, but failed to settle the dispute.