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		Flat Screens Cost More Due to Europe Thursday, 25th September 2008 Syed Kamall, MEP for London, has called for an end to European Union trade tariffs that make flat screen computer monitors more expensive for consumers in London. The call comes after the United States, Japan and Taiwan took the EU to court for breaking an earlier agreement by charging tariffs on computer related products, worth $70bn a year.  The EU's Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson argues that when technological advancements give more widespread uses to a product it should no longer be classified as computer related. Any computer related items are exempt from EU import duty under a 1996 agreement at the World Trade Organisation.  Syed Kamall said:  "Whilst this dispute is very important we must not lose sight of the fact that all of these tariffs are costing consumers a fortune. It shouldn't matter whether a flat screen monitor is used for computers, DVD's or even as a television charging import tariffs is still fundamentally wrong.  At a time of rising costs and economic instability these tariffs are only likely to make ordinary peoples lives even harder."