July 23, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 22, 1424

BRUSSELS, July 22: The European Union and Japan have developed a joint proposal aimed at reducing the cost of anti-dumping inquiries for exporters, the European Commission said on Tuesday.

The objective of the plan, developed under the framework of World Trade Organization negotiations, is to facilitate cooperation in these sorts of inquiries, the commission said in a statement.

The joint proposal notably proposes the standardization of procedures, such as questionnaires and rules for on-the-spot verifications, as well as better procedural rules that would lead to enhanced transparency and shorter investigations, the commission said.—AFP