L 209/24 Official Journal of the European Union 17.8.2011 COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 821/2011 of 16 August 2011 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of vinyl acetate originating in the United States of America THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, such exporting producers provided a questionnaire response. The fourth exporting producer declined to cooperate with the investigation and was subsequently informed that it would be treated as a non-cooperating company in accordance with Article 18 of the basic Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (the 'Union'), Regulation. Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 of 30 November 2009 on protection against dumped imports o . . from countries not members of the European Community ('), (6)  The Commission also sent questionnaires to the and in particular Article 7 thereof, complainant and the other Union producer mentioned in the complaint. After consulting the Advisory Committee, (7)  In view of the apparent large number of unrelated importers which are potentially concerned by this inves- tigation, sampling was envisaged in the notice of initiation in accordance with Article 17 of the basic A. PROCEDURE Regulation. In order to enable the Commission to decide whether sampling would be necessary and, if so, to select a sample, all unrelated importers were asked to make themselves known to the Commission and to provide information specified in the notice of initiation. However, given that only two importers came forward within the deadline set by the notice of initiation, it was decided that sampling was not necessary. Two importers in the Union duly replied to the questionnaire and a verification visit took place at the premises of one of Whereas: 1. Initiation (1) On 4 December 2010, the Commission announced, by a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union (?), the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding with regard to imports into the Union of vinyl acetate originating in the United States of America (hereinafter USA or the country concerned). them. (2)  The proceeding was initiated as a result of a complaint lodged on 22 October 2010 by Ineos Oxide Ltd (the ) ) complainant) representing a major proportion, in this (8)  On the other hand, a number of interested parties made case more than 25% of the total Union industry themselves known as users. A questionnaire specifically production of vinyl acetate. The complaint contained demgned. for users was sent to Sth partles..".l"we.lve prima facie evidence of dumping of the said product companies replied to the questionnaire and verification and of material injury resulting therefrom, which was visits were carried out at the premises of two of them. considered sufficient to justify the initiation of a proceeding. (9)  The Commission sought and verified all the information deemed necessary for a provisional determination of 2. Parties concerned by the proceeding dumping, resulting injury and Union interest and carried out verifications at the premises of the (3)  The Commission officially advised the complainant, other following companies: known producers in the Union, exporting producers in the country concerned, importers, traders, users, suppliers and associations known to be concerned, and the repre- (a) Union producers sentatives of the United States of America 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. Wacker Chemie AG, Germany Ineos Oxide Ltd, United Kingdom (4 All interested parties, who so requested and showed that there were particular reasons why they should be heard were granted a hearing. (b) Exporting producers in the country concerned Celanese Ltd. (5)  The Commission sent questionnaires to the four known exporting producers in the country concerned. Three The Dow Chemical Company (") OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 51. 0] C 327, 4.12.2010, p. 23. LyondellBasell Industries, Acetyls, LLC