Ireland and Britain have filed complaints with the European Commission that cheap farmed salmon products from Norway, the Faeroe Islands and Chile are being dumped on the EU market.
"The UK and Irish governments ... quoted an increase of 14% in imports in the first nine months of 2003 as compared to 2002," EU spokeswoman Arancha Gonzalez Gonzalez said in Brussels.
Gonzalez said EU trade officials "will continue to have discussions" with the three "to see if we can find an adequate solution."
She said the investigation was expected to last nine months.
Irish and Scottish salmon fisheries officials claim the cheaper imports are unfairly hurting their own salmon fisheries and are demanding the EU take action.
If the EU finds that the imports are undercutting EU fisherman, they could call for duties on those imports under separate free trade agreements with the three countries.
Norwegian Fisheries Minister Svein Ludvigsen said in Oslo he was optimistic about the outcome of an investigation, hinting that a solution avoiding duties could be found.
"We had hoped that they would reject the request from Britain and Ireland, but when the Commission decided to go ahead I am very happy that they decided for an investigation and not safeguards."
Ludvigsen said he met British Trade Minister Mike O'Brien in London this week, and came away with the understanding that a small portion of the Scottish salmon industry had complained.
"No one has accused us of dumping or subsidies, but the competition is so hard that some in Scotland complained," he said. "The Norwegians notice that it is hard as well."
In 2002, Norway exported #800 million worth of salmon, most of it farmed,
according to the organisation Seafood Norway. Norway accounted for 42% of all
exports of Atlantic salmon in 2002, it said.
For the Faeroe Islands, which is still officially part of Denmark, its fishing
sector, including farmed salmon makes up more than 90% of exports