Brussels - The Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe (FACE) initiated in 1999 an intense lobbying campaign to eliminate the EU tariff on imports of <link _top>primary aluminium on the grounds that this tariff harms the competitiveness of the EU aluminium industry, creates market distortions, and is not economically justified because the European Union is a massive net importer of <link _top>primary aluminium.
The decision to reduce to 3% the EU import duty for <link _top>not alloyed <link _top>primary aluminium has been taken after a comprehensive and long process of consultations involving several Directorate Generals of the European Commission, the Governments of the 27 EU Member States and a number of Committees such as the Economic Questions Group (EU Commission Directorate General for Customs, TAXUD) and the 133 Committee (EU Commission and EU Member States represented by the Director Generals of relevant Ministries).
As the EU Trade Commissioner, Mr Mandelson has played an important role in this process since he took his functions in Brussels, therefore many years ago.
His position on the partial suspension of the EU import duty for <link _top>not alloyed <link _top>primary aluminium was supported by the views of several services of the EU Commission, by the EU Competitiveness Council, by the majority of the EU Member States at ministerial level and of course by the economic research and the position papers presented by our Federation during many years to all the relevant authorities in the EU Commission and in the EU Member States (they are available on the website: <link http: www.facealuminium.com>www.facealuminium.com).
FACE stresses that the final decision which lead to the partial suspension at 3% of the EU tariff for <link _top>not alloyed <link _top>primary aluminium has been made following a vote by the EU Member States based on the qualified majority, as determined by the EU treaties and by the relevant texts defining the decision-making process for quotas and suspensions.
FACE recognises the outstanding merits of Mr Mandelson in contributing to achieving a more fair level playing-field in our industry and in supporting the competitiveness of the EU independent aluminium transformers and users, who represent 95% of the workforce of the EU aluminium industry and thousands of SMEs.
Mr Mandelson’s leadership in this issue for years was consistent with key policies and priorities of the European Union, and in particular the policies in support SMEs, the policies in support of access to supplies of raw materials, the Lisbon Strategy and the EU Growth and Jobs Paper.
