L 16/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 21.1.2000 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 124/2000 of 20 January 2000 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of polyester staple fibres (PSF) originating in Australia, Indonesia and Thailand THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96 of 22 December 1995 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 905/98 (3, and in particular Article 7 thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: A. PROCEDURE On 22 April 1999, the Commission announced, by a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (*), the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding with regard to imports into the Community of polyester staple fibres (hereinafter ‘PSF) originating in Australia, Indonesia and Thailand and commenced an investigation. The proceeding was initiated as a result of a complaint lodged in March 1999 by the International Rayon and Synthetic Fibres Committee (CIRFS) on behalf of produ- cers representing a major proportion of the Community production of PSF. The complaint contained evidence of dumping of the product concerned and of material injury resulting therefrom, which was considered suffi- cient to justify the initiation of a proceeding. A parallel anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports into the Community of the same product originating in, inter alia, Australia, Indonesia and Thailand was announced by a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Communities () on the same date. There are anti-dumping measures currently in force on imports of PSF originating in Belarus (Council Regula- tion (EC) No 1490/96 (%)) and Taiwan (Council Regula- tion (EC) No 1728/1999 (°). Measures against the Republic of Korea were repealed in August 1999 (Regu- lation (EC) No 1728/1999). The Commission officially advised the complainant Community producers, exporting producers and impor- ters known to be concerned, the representatives of the 56, 6.3.1996, p. 1. 128, 30.4.1998, p. 18. 111, 22.4.1999, p. 7. 111, 22.4.1999, p. 3. 189, 30.7.1996, p. 13. 204, 4.8.1999, p. 3. [snllenles We Nanll ol exporting countries as well as Community users and suppliers of the initiation of the proceeding. The parties directly concerned were given the opportunity to make their views known in writing and to request a hearing within the time limit set in the notice of initiation. A number of exporting producers in the countries concerned, as well as complainant Community produ- cers, Community users and importers made their views known in writing. All parties, who so requested within the above time limit and indicated that there were particular reasons why they should be heard, were granted a hearing. In view of the large number of exporting producers in Indonesia, the Commission applied sampling techniques in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 384/96 (hereinafter ‘the basic Regulation’). The Commis- sion received detailed information from a representative sample of exporting producers in Indonesia, as set out in recitals 18 and 19. The Commission also received replies to its question- naire from one exporting producer in Australia and four exporting producers in Thailand. They also received replies from seven complaining Community producers and from two users in the Community which were considered to be meaningful and complete. The Commission sought and verified all the information it deemed necessary for the purpose of a preliminary determination of dumping, resulting injury and Community interest, and carried out verifications at the premises of the following companies: (a) Complainant Community producers Germany — DuPont De Nemours GmbH, Frankfurt — Trevira GmbH & Co KG, Frankfurt Ireland — Wellman International Ltd, Mullagh, Kells, Co. Meath Spain — Catalana de Polimers, Barcelona Italy — Montefibre SpA, Milan