BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has yet to decide whether to extend or scrap anti-dumping duties on imported Chinese shoes, a spokesman said on Tuesday 29 September, denying that the EU executive had already opted for a two-year extension.

Diplomatic and industry sources told Reuters on Monday 28 September that the Commission planned to tell the 27 EU countries on Oct. 22 to keep the duties for two more years, instead of the normal five.

However, they said the Executive wanted to avoid a "shoe war" with Beijing, which has threatened legal action at the World Trade Organisation.

"The European Commission has not yet taken a decision, whatever you read about it, it is not true, there is no decision yet," the Commission spokesman told a briefing.

The Commission initially set two-year tariffs on shoes made in China and Vietnam in 2006 after European manufacturers complained that the Asian governments were unfairly subsidising their low-cost shoe makers. These were reimposed last October, pending the current review.

Regardless of the decision, the scope of the current duties would not change. "This is an expiry review ... which allows you either to terminate existing measures or to prolong them, and not to change the scope of the measures," the spokesman said.

A source with knowledge of the proposal had told Reuters the Commission was likely to exempt children's footwear and sports shoes from the duties as a compromise to avert a "shoe war" and avoid damaging trade ties with China.

The spokesman said the Commission was not seeking to please all parties involved in the dispute. "Anti-dumping measures are not about pleasing anybody, anti-dumping measures are taken on the basis of clear evidence," he said.

Shoe-producing countries such as Italy, Spain, France and Poland want to keep the duties while others backed by major shoemakers and retailers have argued they should be ended due to the economic downturn.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by David Stamp)