The European Commission (EC) announced on Wednesday that it had started to consult the public on the European Union's (EU) use of protectionist measures against unfairly priced imports.

In a statement published on Wednesday, the EC, the EU's executive arm,invited voters to comment on how anti-dumping measures should be used in the future.

"Anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures ... allow the EU to defend its producers against unfairly traded or subsidized imports and against dramatic shifts in trade flows in so far as these are harmful to the EU economy," the statement said.

The EC is caught between protectionist-minded continental Europe and the so-called "Northern block" of free-traders when formulating trade policy.

Countries like Sweden attacked the EC's use of trade defense instruments on Chinese bras and sweaters last year.

This year another trade row broke out over EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson's decision to impose import tariffs on Chinese shoes.

Meanwhile, German brands like Adidas and Puma strongly opposed the duties. They said they amounted to protectionism and would mean higher prices for European consumers.

"Acting against unfair trade is an essential political and economic part of defending free trade and European competitiveness and people's jobs," said Mandelson.

"In a changing global economy, we need to be sure that our trade defense instruments and our use of them take account of the new realities of globalization," he added.

The public consultation will last until the end of March next year.