GENEVA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Norway called on the European Union on Friday to stop delays and drop its minimum import price for Norwegian salmon as required by a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling.

The European Union told the WTO's dispute settlement body that it would fully comply with November's WTO ruling, adopted on Jan. 15, that the 27-member bloc had broken trade rules by imposing anti-dumping duties on Norwegian farmed salmon.

But "given the complexity and highly fact-intensive nature of the dispute" it would need a reasonable period of time to do so, an EU official said.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said in January the minimum import prices would stay in place pending implementation of the technical parts of the ruling.

Norway agreed to discuss a delay for the EU to carry out the ruling, but said EU fast-track regulations could ensure speedy implementation.

A Norwegian official told the body Norway expects the EU to repeal the minimum price fully.

"The overall scope and the significance and the number of infringements of WTO rules are such that Norway believes that the EU has no choice but to remove the anti-dumping measure in its entirety," the official said.

Global trade rules allow countries to impose minimum import prices on products if they are shown to have been dumped, or sold more cheaply than in the exporter's market, and that this damages business in the importing country.

But such anti-dumping measures can easily be abused for protectionist reasons and often given rise to trade disputes.

Implementation of the ruling will be closely watched by Norwegian fish farmers such as Marine Harvest (MHG.OL: Quote, Profile, Research), Leroy Seafoods (LSG.OL: Quote, Profile, Research) and Cermaq (CEQ.OL: Quote, Profile, Research).

The EU imposed minimum prices in 2006 on farmed salmon from Norway after years of wrangling.

The measures had been sought by fish farmers in Ireland and Scotland who accused bigger rivals in Norway of selling fish below their real value in the Norwegian market.

Seafood is non-EU member Norway's third largest export after energy and metals, and the EU is its main market.

Reporting by Jonathan Lynn

Editing by Caroline Drees

Fri Feb 8, 2008 6:04am EST

Source: reuters