The European Commission (EC) has put an end to the anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports of seabass and seabream from Turkey that was lobbied by the Business Association of Marine Aquaculture Producers (APROMAR) on 1 July 2015.
The Commission’s decision, which was published in the “Official Journal of the European Union,” ends a year of investigation and action following a complaint lodged by APROMAR to the European Executive.
Spanish farmers argued that subsidies to Turkey caused their fish to be sold in unfair competition with seabass and seabream of the EU.
Following the complaint lodged by APROMAR on behalf of a group of producers that covers more than 25 percent of the total seabass and seabream production in the EU, the Commission decided to initiate an investigation, considering it "collected prima facie evidence of the existence of subsidies to the Turkish industry that produces seabass and seabream and the material harm resulting from these subsidies."
In its decision, the Commission noted that last May Turkey issued a decree stating that its authorities would remove the main subsidy scheme with effect from 1 January 2016, and that APROMAR then withdrew its complaint in June.
The EC said the investigation determined that the completion of the process was not harmful to EU’s interests. Therefore, in accordance with Community law, the Commission deemed that the anti-subsidy proceeding concerning seabass and seabream imports from Turkey should come to an end without setting any action.
