Prof Gerd Merke, general secretary of the European stone organisation Euro-Roc, an association consisting of trade bodies of various European nations, says he is sure new dumping complaints will be brought against Chinese and Indian stone companies exporting to Europe following the collapse of a European Commission investigation last year.

In September 2000 Euro-Roc successfully instigated a European Commission investigation into the dumping of granite memorials, paving and other stone products on to the European market by convincing the Commission that a prima facie case existed against China and India.

But in June last year Euro-Roc withdrew its case in the face of a lack of support from stone companies themselves and what Gerd Merke describes as "a huge campaign" by the Indians.

He says the European Commission sent "two, young, inexperienced experts" to India and China to look at the books of exporting companies. They found the companies were profitable, which was sufficient evidence for them to conclude that no dumping was taking place.

However, Merke says blocks being exported from India and China cost more than the same weight of finished product and are subsidising the exports of finished products.

He says: "For two years Euro-Roc collected all the data necessary to present the complaint. It was a big success that after careful investigation the Commission decided to start the official procedure."

But when the complaint fizzled out last summer Merke concluded: "Indian firms are too smart for the EU Commission."

He told NSS just before Christmas: "Under these circumstances and with the limited time (there are strict deadlines to be adhered to with European Commission investigations) we did not have any chance to overcome the reluctance of the Commission. We therefore decided to delay the complaint and collect new data.

"We can renew our complaint at any time but we need the unanimous support of all the Community industry. The resistance of the Indian companies is impressive. A huge campaign had been launched in various countries to force the European industry to withdraw its support for the complaint."

In the UK, Stone Federation Great Britain pulled out of Euro-Roc last year. The National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) remains a member and their representative on Euro-Roc, Graeme Robertson of Aberdeen-based memorial wholesalers A&J Robertson, is critical of Stone Federation for leaving when Europe is becoming increasingly responsible for the rules and regulations governing British business.

Prof Gerd Merke says: "In the United Kingdom the only support we received was from NAMM, which we appreciated a lot."

He concludes: "Euro-Roc is sure that new dumping complaints will follow. Without these efforts the European stone industry does not have a bright future."

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