No L 141/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 5. 97 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 981/97 of 29 May 1997 imposing provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of certain seamless pipes and tubes of iron or non-alloy steel originating in Russia, the Czech Republic, Romania and the Slovak Republic 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 Commun- ity (), as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2331/96 of 2 December 1996 (%), and in particular Article 7 thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: A. PROCEDURE (1)  On 31 August 1996, the Commission announced, by a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (°), the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports into the Community of certain seamless pipes and tubes of iron or non-alloy steel originating in Russia, the Czech Republic, Romania and the Slovak Republic and commenced an investigation. (2)  The proceeding was initiated as a result of a complaint lodged on 19 July 1996 by the Defence Committee of the Seamless Steel Tube Industry of the European Union on behalf of producers rep- resenting a major proportion of total Community production of the product concerned. The complaint contained evidence of dumping of the said product, and of material injury resulting there- from, which was considered sufficient to justify the opening of a proceeding. (3) The Commission officially advised the producers, exporters and importers known to be concerned, as well as the representatives of the exporting coun-’ tries and the complainant, of the opening of the proceeding, and gave interested parties the oppor- tunity to make their views known in writing and to request a hearing within the time limit set in the notice of initiation. (') OJ No L 56, 6. 3. 1996, p. 1, referred to as the ‘Basic Regula- tion’. () OJ No L 317, 6. 12. 1996, p. 1. . () OJ No C 253, 31. 8. 1996, p. 26, referred to as the ‘Notice of Initiation’. ) ©) 6 A number of producers in the countries concerned, as well as some Community producers and im- porters, made their views known in writing. A hear- ing was offered to all parties who requested one within the time limit. The Commission sent questionnaires to all parties known to be concerned and received replies from the complainant Community producers, from other Community producers supporting the complaint, from certain importers, and from the producers in the countries concerned. The Commission sought and verified all the in- formation it deemed necessary for the purpose of a preliminary determination of dumping and injury and carried out visits at the premises of the follow- ing companies: (a) complainant Community producers: — Voest Alpine, Kindberg, Austria, — Vallourec Industries, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, — Benteler AG, Paderborn, Germany, — Mannesmannrohren-Werke AG, Miilheim an der Ruhr, Germany, — Dalmine S.p.A, Dalmine, Italy, — Productos Tubulares SA, Valle de Trapaga, Spain, — Tubos Reunidos S.A., Amurrio, Spain, — Ovako Steel AB Tube Division, Hofors, Sweden; (b) Community  producers  supporting  the complaint: — ESW Rohrenwerke GmbH, Eschweiler, Germany, — Rohrwerk Neue Maxhiitte GmbH, Sulz- bach-Rosenberg, Germany; (c) importers not related to exporters: — Jannone ARM S.p.A., Naples, Italy, — Geminvest SR.L, Limbiate, Italy, — Starval, Marly La Ville, France, — Voest Alpine Stahlhandel AG, Linz, Austria; (d) importers/trading companies related to ex- porters: — Pipex International AG, Nidau, Switzerland (related to the Slovak producer),