NEWS


EU moves towards country of origin on packaging


In a plenary session in October 2010 the European Parliament voted for a regulation to be enacted requiring that goods imported from outside the EU should clearly state their country of origin. In an amendment the Parliament defi ned specifi cally that fasteners should be included in such a measure.


T


he parliament is proposing that country of origin be indicated in English on labels of goods sold anywhere in the EU. It would also like to see harmonised penalties for breaking the rules. It argues: “If the country of origin is clear, consumers can make informed choices to help guard against health risks, counterfeiting and unfair


competition.” The fi rst reading report, drafted by Cristiana Muscardini, MEP for North West Italy, was adopted with 525 votes in favour, 49 against and 44 abstentions. A specifi c amendment calls for CN code 7318 together with a description of the fastener


products it covers to be specifi cally annexed as being subject to the regulation. There is some question about the actual scope of the fi nal regulation, however, as the Commission’s phrasing for it to cover ‘industrial products’ was amended by the Parliament to ‘end consumer products’. The draft law still needs to be approved by the European Council. The Parliament notes that


some member states are still opposed to the idea of a European “made in” law. If adopted by both Parliament and Council the new rules would start one year after the publication of the regulation in the Offi cial Journal and would be valid for fi ve years, with Council and Parliament able to prolong or amend prior to expiry. Writing in Italian Fastener Magazine UPIVEB president, Sergio Pirovano, expressed his “great


satisfaction that...the European Parliament by a large majority adopted the report” on country of origin marking. He went on to note the great contribution made in achieving this “historical result” from Cristiana Muscardini and the whole team of Italian MEPs. He concluded that the “Made in…” mark represented “a great opportunity for all European consumers and for the Italian companies that have continued to request its adoption for a long time”. Representatives of the European Fastener Distributors’ Association have not yet met to


consider the implications of this development or to discuss the series of anti-dumping related announcements in recent months. In a preliminary statement to this magazine EFDA secretary Bernd Stapf expressed reservations over the proposed legislation, noting “fasteners are an industrial product, produced worldwide to the same standards, so the actual source does not have any infl uence on functionality and compliancy.” EFDA members, he said, are likely to be deeply concerned that a regulation of this type would fail to provide additional guarantees of product performance but would exact a further level of exorbitant administrative efforts and costs on fastener suppliers.


What do you think? Email phil.matten@fastenerandfi xing.com with your views on this or any other issue you feel is important to your fastener business.


No news on exemptions in circumvention case


European importers and Malaysian exporters remain unsure when the European Commission will decide which if any companies might be exempt from any extension of duties determined by the anti-circumvention investigation.


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nquiries to the European Commission in relation to anti-circumvention case R515 have so far received a response that no decision had yet


been made on which if any companies should be granted exemption should anti-dumping duties be extended to Malaysia. An email from the Directorate General for Trade H3 to one importer, sent on 12th


January 2011,


noted that any decision about the granting of an exemption would be published in the EU Offi cial Journal and notifi ed to registered parties. No indication of timescale for a


12 Fastener + Fixing Magazine • Issue 67 January 2011


decision was given. Producers in Malaysia had 37 days from the initiation of the investigation on 28th


October


2010 to submit a request for exemption from registration of imports. The registration process provides the information for the Commission to back date tariffs to the start of the investigation should it decide to do so. In submissions to the Commission fastener


distributor associations urged it to expedite decisions on exemptions in order that goods can be imported from legitimate Malaysian exporters without risk of back dated duties.


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