Commissioner Mandelson informed textile producers that the Commission was examining the request for safeguards against certain Chinese textile imports presented by Euratex on March 9. He said that he as long as the Commission had credible import data for Chinese textiles he would be in a position to make a decision on launching a safeguards investigation on April 25.

 

Such an investigation would last for sixty days during which the Commission would determine if serious disruption of the European textile market had occurred. If such disruption was found, the Commission would launch formal consultations with the Chinese. If the Chinese did not act to limit exports without delay, temporary safeguards in the form of import quotas could be used.