Brussels, August 5:

The EU opened an investigation on Friday into claims that cheap imports of recordable DVDs from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan have damaged European producers. The European Commission said it was beginning an antidumping probe following a complaint from the Committee of CD-R manufacturers, or CECMA, which represents more than 60 pe rcent of EU production of DVD+/-R discs. “It is alleged that the volumes and the prices of the imported product concerned have, among other consequences, had a negative impact on the level of prices charged by the community industry, resulting in substantial adverse effects on the overall performance and the financial situation of the community industry,” the Commission said in a formal notice published online. The antidumping probe can last as long as 15 months.