28.12.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 379/11 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1999/2006 of 20 December 2006 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of certain saddles originating in the People’s Republic of China 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 (') (the basic Regulation’), and in particular Article 7 thereof, Whereas: A. PROCEDURE 1. Initiation On 22 February 2006, the Commission received a complaint concerning certain saddles originating in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) lodged pursuant to Article 5 of the basic Regulation by the European Saddle Manufacturers Association (the complainant) on behalf of producers representing a major proportion, in this case 99 %, of the total Community production of certain saddles. This complaint contained evidence of dumping and of material injury resulting there from, which was considered sufficient to justify the opening of a proceeding. On 7 April 2006, the proceeding was initiated by the publication of a notice of initiation in the Official Journal of the European Union (2). 2. Parties concerned by the proceeding The Commission officially advised the exporting producers in the PRC, importers, traders, users, suppliers and associations known to be concerned, representatives of the PRC and the complainant Community producers and other Community producers known to be concerned of the initiation of the proceeding. Interested parties 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. In order to allow exporting producers to submit a claim for market economy treatment (MET) or individual treatment (IT), if they so wished, the Commission sent claim forms to the Chinese exporting producers known to be concerned. Three exporting producers groups and one individual exporting producer requested MET pursuant to Article 2(7) of the basic Regulation, or IT should the investigation establish that they do not meet the conditions for MET. It should be noted that three of these exporting producers consisted of two or more related companies involved in the production and|or sales of saddles. In view of the apparent high number of exporting producers in the PRC, importers and producers in the Community, in the notice of initiation, the Commission indicated that sampling may be applied in this investigation for the determination of dumping and injury in accordance with Article 17 of the basic Regulation. () OJ L 56, 6.3.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2117/2005 (O] L 340, 23.12.2005, p. 17). () O] C 84, 7.4.2006, p. 4.