(Adds new diplomat quote, Philips statement) BRUSSELS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A disputed plan to extend anti-dumping duties on Chinese energy-saving lightbulbs for one more year cleared a key hurdle on Friday at a meeting of trade experts from European Union countries, diplomats said. But wrangling over the case, which has again underscored the split within the European Union over how open it should be to foreign trade, looked likely to continue, they said. The plan is considered a test of how the EU responds to globalisation because many European manufacturers of lightbulbs rely on imports from China to remain competitive and had sought an immediate elimination of the duties. At a meeting of the EU's Anti-Dumping Committee, 16 of the bloc's 27 members abstained, meaning their votes were considered as approval under the body's voting laws. Eleven voted against the measure. One member who abstained was earlier undecided. "This is the first time that I can remember that no country has actually voted for a Commission proposal," one diplomat who attended the meeting said. "The last word on this has not been said." The result will not be binding but typically the outcomes of such meetings are followed by ministers when taking a final decision on dumping cases. The bulbs case must be settled by mid-October, when the duties are due to expire. The case is also seen as a test of how the 27-nation bloc is able to marry its economic policies with its ambitions to be a world leader in the fight against climate change. Environmental group WWF had lobbied EU governments to throw out the duties immediately, saying they were inconsistent with EU plans to promote energy efficiency and fight climate change. "The decision also sends a very regressive signal to countries like China at a crucial moment of international negotiations on how to tackle climate change," WWF trade adviser Eivind Hoff said in a statement on Friday. COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGE? Swedish retailer Ikea and Dutch electronics giant Philips <PHG.AS> also argued that the duties, which add up to 66 percent onto the price of the imports, were sought by only one company, German manufacturer Osram, which is owned by Siemens <SIEGn.DE>. Philips and Osram both import bulbs from China, but Philips imports more, leading some EU officials to say the dispute was about commercial advantage between two European companies. Philips said in a statement: "Philips is pleased that a large number of EU countries opposed the continuation of the duties." But the company said it was concerned that the duties may still be maintained. The one-year extension was floated by the European Commission in August as a compromise after EU industry chief Guenter Verheugen said a plan by Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson to axe the duties immediately would cost Germany jobs. Philips had said it was concerned that Osram might seek a review of the duties in 2008 which, if granted by the Commission, could keep them in place for a further 18 months. Factories in the EU cover about 20 percent of European demand for the bulbs, while China accounts for about 70 percent.
