. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SG/N/6/BGR/2
22 November 2001
(01-5932)
Committee on Safeguards Original:  English
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.1(A) OF THE AGREEMENT
ON SAFEGUARDS ON INITIATION OF AN INVESTIGATION
AND THE REASONS FOR IT
BULGARIA
The following communication, dated 19 November 2001, has been received from the
Permanent Mission of Bulgaria.
_______________
Pursuant to Article 12.1(a) of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards, and taking into account the
suggested format for notifications under that Arti cle (G/SG/N/6), the Republic of Bulgaria hereby
notifies that its competent authority has initiated an investigatory process, as follows:
1. Date of initiation of the investigation
Upon proposal by the Inter-agency Commission on Safeguard Measures on Imports of
Products in the Republic of Bulgaria, the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Bulgaria issued an
Ordinance No. RD-16-279 dated 25 October 2001 on initiation of an investigation procedure.
The respective announcement pursuant to Article 3 of the Agreement on Safeguards and
Article 4 of Regulation No. 300 of the Council of Ministers of 16 December 1996 (notified in WTOdocument G/SG/N/1/BGR/1) was published in  State Gazette No.98 of 16 November 2001.
2. Products subject to investigation
Tariff No. Description
8309 10 0000 Crown corks
3. Reasons for initiation of the investigation procedure
The investigation was initiated pursuant to a petition from a Bulgarian Association of the
Producers of Metal Packaging whose members constitute a major proportion of the total domesticproduction of the product concerned.
According to the information contained in th e petition, imports of crown corks increased
substantially in absolute terms and compared to domestic consumption.  Imports of crown corks forG/SG/N/6/BGR/2
Page 2
the year 1999 increased by 573 per cent compared to 1998.  Imports further increased by 774 per cent
in 2000 as compared to 1999.
The market share of imported crown corks expanded, while the market share of the domestic
product decreased.  The market share of imports was 0.10 per cent in 1998, in 1999 it increased up to
0.91 per cent and in 2000 it reached 11.25 per cent.
The capacity utilization of the domestic industry and the number of employees decreased.
4. Additional information
The time-limit for declaring an interest in part icipation in the procedure is 30 days after the
publication of the announcement in the State Gazette.  Within the 30-day period interested parties
may request from the Inter-agency Commission to participate in a hearing pursuant to Article 5(4) of
Regulation No.300/1996.
Interested parties are invited to submit written statements and information to be considered in
the investigation, within a period of 45 days from the date of publication of the announcement in theState Gazette.
Further information with respect to the investigation may be submitted to or can be obtained
from the competent authority on the following address:
Interagency Commission on Safeguard Measures
  on Imports of Products in the Republic of Bulgaria
Economic Analysis and Domestic Market Directorate
Ministry of Economy12, Alexander Battenberg St.
1000 Sofia
Bulgaria
Tel: + 359 2 988 3605;  987 7797
Fax: + 359 2 987 2190
E-mail : eadm@mi.government.bg
__________