DECISION No 4/96 OF THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL, ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES, OF THE ONE PART, AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC, OF THE OTHER PART,

of 27 December 1996 concerning the export of certain ECSC and EC steel products from the Czech Republic to the Community for the period 1 January to 31 December 1997 (extension of the double-checking system established by Decision No 2/96 of the Association Council) (97/163/ECSC)

THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

Whereas the Contact Group referred to in Article 10 of Protocol 2 to the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Czech Republic, of the other part (1), which entered into force on 1 February 1995, agreed on 18 October 1996 to recommend to the Association Council established under Article 104 of the Agreement that the double-checking system introduced in 1996 by Association Council Decision No 2/96 (2) should be extended for the period between 1 January and 31 December 1997 subject to certain amendments;

Whereas the Association Council, having been supplied with all relevant information, has agreed with this recommendation,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The double-checking system established by Association Council Decision No 2/96 for the period 1 January to 31 December 1996 shall continue to apply for the period between 1 January and 31 December 1997, subject to the amendments shown in Article 2. In the preamble and Article 1 (1) and (3) of the Decision, references to the period 1 January to 31 December 1996 shall be replaced by the words '1 January to 31 December 1997`. Article 1 (4) shall be repealed.

Article 2

1. The first sentence of Article 2 (2) of the Decision shall be amended to read as follows:

'The Community undertakes to supply the Czech authorities with precise statistical information on import documents issued by Member States in respect of the export documents issued by the Czech authorities pursuant to Article 1.`

2. Annex I to the Decision shall be replaced by the text contained in the Annex to this Decision.

3. In Annex III to the Decision, 'Export Licence` shall be replaced by 'Export Document`.

4. In Annex IV to the Decision, paragraph 3 shall be amended to read as follows:

'The export documents shall be valid for six months from the date of their issue.`

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of signature.

It shall apply with effect from 1 January 1997.

Done at Brussels, 27 December 1996.

For the Association Council

The President

J. ZIELENIEC

(1) OJ No L 360, 31. 12. 1994, p. 2.

(2) OJ No L 133, 4. 6. 1996, p. 16.

ANNEX

'ANNEX I

CZECH REPUBLIC

List of products subject to double-checking (1997)

Heavy Plates

(excluding ex-CN Codes)

7208 40 10

7208 51 30

7208 51 50

7208 51 91

7208 51 99

7208 52 91

7208 52 99

7208 54 10

7208 90 10

7208 90 90

Cold-rolled sheet

7209 15 00

7209 16 90

7209 17 90

7209 18 91

7209 18 99

7209 25 00

7209 26 90

7209 27 90

7209 28 90

7211 23 10

7211 23 51

7211 29 20

Hot-rolled strip and hoop

7211 14 10

7211 14 90

7211 19 20

7211 19 90

7212 60 91

7220 11 00

7220 12 00

7220 90 31

7226 19 10

7226 20 20

7226 91 10

7226 91 90

7226 99 20

Wire rod

7213 10 00

7213 20 00

7213 91 10

7213 91 20

7213 91 41

7213 91 49

7213 91 70

7213 91 90

7213 99 10

7213 99 90

7221 00 10

7221 00 90

7227 10 00

7227 20 00

7227 90 10

7227 90 50

7227 90 95

Hematite pig iron

7201 10 19

Beams and sections

7216 31 11

7216 31 19

7216 31 91

7216 31 99

7216 32 11

7216 32 19

7216 32 91

7216 32 99

Welded Tubes

Complete CN heading 7306`

JOINT DECLARATION

In the context of Association Council Decision No 2/96, as extended by Association Council Decision No 4/96, the Community and the Czech Republic declared that, if so requested by the producers of products subject to double-checking, they will inform each other immediately in the event of any problems relating to the operation of the Decision and the products concerned which might require consultations as provided for in Article 3 thereof.