(The EU decision to lift sanctions against Norwegian salmon exports, give producers the predictabilty they need, says fisheries minister Helga Pedersen.

The EU Council of Ministers Thursday ended sanctions against Norwegian salmon exports. This marks the end of twenty years of wrangling.

After debate in the EU's Anti-dumping Committee, the United Kingdom and Ireland were the only countries opposed to scrapping the extra import duty.

"The market price has never been as low as the minimum price, so the measure has never been used," says EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson to news bureau NTB.

Mandelson is quick to emphasize that this is the reason for the scrapping of the minimum price and not that the measure itself was unreasonable.

Norway and the EU have disagreed about minimum prices since their introduction in 2006. They were the last of a series of conflicts concerning exports of Norwegian salmon to the EU.

Norway finally decided to lodge a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO). A WTO panel last December found in favour of the Norwegian autorities on 22 points and the EU on 15 points of disagreement.

Both the EU and Norway claimed to be the winners after this ruling.

 The minimum price for salmon will be removed on Sunday.

 The EU Commission also recommends removing anti-dumping measures from Norwegian rainbow trout imports. These were introduced in 2004. The Council of Ministers is expected to vote in favour of this towards the end of July.

"I’m very pleased. This shows that we were right to take the matter to the WTO," says Fisheries Minister, Helga Pedersen.

"We hope that this case will make accusations of price-dumping against Norwegian fish exporters less likely in future. We are however aware that the EU will be monitoring the Norwegian market closely in future," adds Pedersen.

Producers greeted the decision with jubilation. The Norwegian Seafood Federation (FHL) believes that the various punitive duties and accusations of price dumping have cost salmon exporters untold millions over the 20 years the conflict has lasted.

The Norwegian Seafood Export Council (EFF) says that this decision removes barriers to the EU market.