11/F St Clare House,30-33 Minories,London EC3N 1DD, United Kingdom

Tel: ＋44-20 7488 0311	Fax: ＋44-20 7488 1148
Web site: www.jsc.org.uk	E-mail: info@jsc.org.ul

番号　310　　号　　分野　　造船(欧州)

送信　2001年　1　月　31　日　水　曜日

欧州委員会(EC)は、韓国の不公正な低船価受注から域内造船業を保護するため、昨年12月の産業閣僚理で決められた「暫定保護措置」として、契約船価の21％を上限とする助成を検討中であることを明らかにした。EC部内では従前の船価助成上限について議論が行われている。

ある関係者は、ダンピングの平均の21％をとりあえず助成限度とすることで助成の有効性を見ることができようと語っている。一方、競争政策担当局は、上限の議論は時期尚早だが、9％が上限と強く主張している。

なお、上限を21％に引き上げても、韓国との競争のない客船は

対象とならないため、各国の助成所要資金(総計5.48億ユーロ)の増加はないだろうと関係者は述べている。

5月の産業閣僚理で韓国提訴の調査結果を踏まえ、WTO提訴及び保護措置についての決定が行われる予定。

船価助成再開の様子見のため、本年に入って欧州造船所への発注は手控えられている模様。

＜JSC注＞　EC貿易総局担当者に確認したところ、「かかる発表はしていない。保護措置についての部内的な検討を行っているのは事実だが、内容についてコメントできるような段階にない。」としている。

添付記事:

Lloyd's List

31 Jan 2001

Lloyd' s List

Wednesday January 31 2001 No. 57,796 Page 1

EU mulls 21% aid to fight Koreans

Nigel Tutt, Brussels

THE European Commission is considering scope for member states to give state aid of up to 21% on shipbuilding contracts to counter South Korean competition, commission sources have told Lloyd's List.

The revelation can be seen as another shot across the South Korean yards' bows in the lead up to another round of talks between the commission and South Korean yards in Seoul.

European Union industry ministers in December supported possible contract-by-contract subsidies to EU yards if negotiations and a trade barrier investigation of South Korean yards failed to raise South Korean prices.

"Trade commissioner Pascal Lamy is going to South Korea around February 15 and shipbuilding will be high on the agenda," a commission source said.

"We are currently debating the defence mechanism and want a clear idea of the principle to strengthen his negotiating position. The aim is to bring back orders to Europe by bridging the unfair margin," he said.

Ministers said the defence mechanism should be "appropriate and selective" and internal commission talks are looking at whether aid should go over the EU's previous 9% aid ceiling, which ended on December 31.

Officials believe the aid should counter the alleged estimated unfair low pricing on contracts by South Korean yards of up to 40%, although this high level would be unacceptable politically to member states.

The level of 21% was found to be the average degree of undercutting and this could provide "a first indication of what is efficient and workable and able to get orders back" from South Korea, one source said.

"With 9% [subsidies], European yards continue to lose market share. South Korea is not afraid of 9%," he said.

Commission competition officials are arguing strongly that 9% should be the upper limit, although a competition spokesman said "It is premature to speak of figures. The figure is the tricky bit."

The spokesman noted that the defence mechanism will have to be in line with World Trade Organisation rules and not single out any individual country.

A higher ceiling of up to 21% is not seen as raising the overall cost of state aid since cruiseship builders do not face South Korean competition and would not be covered, commission sources said. In 1998, state aid for cruiseships represented 57% of of the E548m ($521m) operating aid total, they said.

South Korean and European yards are due to file questionnaires in the next days as part of the formal trade inquiry ahead of site visits to South Korea, they said.

EU industry ministers are scheduled to meet mid-May to look at results of this probe and decide whether to file a WTO complaint and adopt a defence mechanism.

Worldwide shipbuilding orders have slowed this year, along with tanker and container freight markets, while European yards are not seen winning orders because of the possible return of aid.

　

[C] LLP Limited 2001