Agreement

between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on trade in certain steel products

THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY,

of the one part, and

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN,

of the other part,

Whereas the European Coal and Steel Community (hereinafter referred to as "the Community") and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter referred to as "Kazakhstan") are desirous to promote the orderly and equitable development of trade in steel between the European Coal and Steel Community and Kazakhstan;

Whereas the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "PCA") between the European Communities and their Member States, on the one part, and the Kazakhstan, on the other part(1), signed on 23 January 1995 has entered into force on 1 July 1999;

Whereas the Parties consider that an arrangement should be concluded to provide stability in respect of trade in such steel products;

Whereas Article 17(1) of the PCA provides that trade in ECSC products is governed by Title III of the PCA, save for Article 11 thereof;

Whereas for the years 2000 and 2001, trade in certain steel products covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community was the subject of an agreement between the Parties, which it is appropriate to replace with a further agreement which takes account of developments in the relationship between the Parties;

Whereas this Agreement is designed to provide a framework permitting the removal of quantitative restrictions on trade in certain products covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, provided that certain conditions are met and in particular when proper competitive conditions have been established in respect of the steel products covered by the Agreement;

Whereas this Agreement should be complemented by the cooperation between the Parties in respect of their steel industries, including appropriate exchanges of information, within the ECSC Contact Group as foreseen in Article 17 (2) of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement,

HAVE DECIDED to conclude this Agreement and to this end have designated as their Plenipotentiaries:

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, AND

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN,

WHO HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

1. This Agreement applies to:

(a) trade in the steel products covered by the ECSC Treaty set out in Annex I originating within the Parties;

(b) ferrous scrap and waste under the EC Combined Nomenclature heading 7204.

2. Trade in the steel products covered by the ECSC Treaty but not set out in Annex I shall not be subject to quantitative limits without prejudice to the application of the relevant provisions of the PCA, in particular those relating to anti-dumping procedures and safeguard measures.

3. In the case of subject matter which is not covered by this Agreement, the relevant provisions of the PCA shall apply.

Article 2

1. Kazakhstan agrees to establish and maintain for each calendar year quantitative limits on its exports to the Community of the steel products in accordance with Annex II. Such exports shall be subject to a double-checking system as specified in Protocol A.

2. The Parties reiterate their commitment to achieve complete liberalisation of trade in respect of the steel products mentioned in Annex I provided that the competitive conditions have been established.

3. Quantitative restrictions, customs duties, charges or any similar measures on the export of ferrous scrap and waste under the Combined Nomenclature heading 7204 are prohibited among the Parties.

4. The Parties agree that imports into the EC from Kazakhstan for products mentioned in Annex I as from 1 January 2002 until the entry into force of this Agreement shall be deducted from the quantitative limits set out in Annex II.

5. Imports of quantities in excess of those mentioned in Annex II shall be authorised where the EC industry is unable to meet the internal demand and results in a shortage of supply for one or more products mentioned in Annex I. Consultations shall take place immediately at the request of either Party to determine the level of the shortage. Following the conclusions of the consultations and on the basis of objective evidence, the EC shall instigate its internal procedures to increase the quantities set out in Annex II.

6. In the case where the candidate countries to EU membership would accede before the termination of this Agreement, the Parties agree to consider the increase of quantitative limits set out in Annex II.

7. Either Party may, at any time, request consultations concerning:

- the levels of the quantitative limits set out in Annex II, where the conditions in respect of the products mentioned in Annex I have substantially deteriorated or improved;

- the possibility of transferring unused amounts from under-utilised product groups to other groups.

Article 3

1. Imports into the customs territory of the Community for free circulation of steel products mentioned in Annex I shall be subject to the production of an export licence issued by the authorities of Kazakhstan and to a certificate of origin in accordance with the provisions of Protocol A.

2. Imports into the customs territory of the Community of steel products mentioned in Annex I shall not be subject to the quantitative limits set out in Annex II provided they are declared to be for re-export outside the Community in the same state or after processing, within the administrative system of control which exists within the Community.

3. Carryover to the corresponding quantitative limits for the following calendar year of the amounts of quantitative limits set out in Annex II not used during any calendar year is authorised up to 10 % of the relevant quantitative limit for the year in which it was not used. Kazakhstan shall notify the Community no later than 1 March of the following year if it intends to make use of this provision.

4. The quantitative limit for a given product group can be adjusted once in the course of a calendar year, subject to the consent of both Parties. Any adjustments to the quantitative limits resulting from transfers shall only affect the calendar year in progress. At the start of the following calendar year, the quantitative limits shall be those shown at Annex II, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 3 above. Kazakhstan shall notify the Community no later than 30 June if it intends to make use of this provision.

Article 4

1. With a view to rendering the double-checking system as effective as possible and to minimise the possibilities for abuse and circumvention:

- the Kazakh authorities shall inform the Community authorities by the 28th day of each month of the export licences issued during the preceding month;

- the Community authorities shall inform the Kazakh authorities by the 28th day of each month of the import authorisations issued during the preceding month.

In the event of any significant discrepancy taking account of the time factors involved in respect of such information, either Party may request consultations which shall be opened immediately.

2. Without prejudice to paragraph 1 and with a view to ensuring the effective functioning of this Agreement, both Parties agree to take all necessary steps to prevent, to investigate and to take any necessary legal and/or administration action against circumvention by transhipment, re-routing, false declaration concerning the country or place of origin, falsification of documents, false declaration concerning quantities description or classification of merchandise and by whatever other means. Accordingly, the Parties agree to establish the necessary legal provisions and administrative procedures permitting effective action to be taken against such circumvention, which shall include the adoption of legally binding corrective measures against exporters and/or importers involved.

3. Should either Party believe on the basis of information available that this Agreement is being circumvented, it may request consultations with the other Party which shall be held immediately.

4. Pending the results of the consultations referred to in paragraph 3, and if requested by the Community and on provision of sufficient evidence, Kazakhstan shall ensure that any adjustments of the quantitative limits which may result from such consultations, are carried out for the calendar year in which the request for consultations under paragraph 3 was made, or for the following year, if the limit for that calendar year is exhausted.

5. Should the Parties be unable in the course of the consultations referred to in paragraph 3 to reach a mutually satisfactory solution, the Community shall have the right, where there is sufficient evidence that products mentioned in Annex I originating in Kazakhstan have been imported in circumvention of this Agreement, to set off the relevant quantities against the quantitative limits set out in Annex II.

6. Should the Parties be unable in the course of the consultations referred to in paragraph 3 to reach a mutually satisfactory solution, the Community shall have the right, where sufficient evidence shows false declaration concerning quantities description or classification has occurred, to refuse to import the products in question.

7. The Parties agree to cooperate fully to prevent and to address effectively all problems arising from circumvention of this Agreement.

Article 5

1. The quantitative limits set out in Annex II on imports of ECSC steel products into the Community shall not be broken down by the Community into regional shares.

2. The Parties shall cooperate in order to prevent sudden and prejudicial changes in traditional trade flows into the Community. Should a sudden and prejudicial change in traditional trade flows arise (including regional concentration or the loss of traditional supplies), the Community will be entitled to request consultations in order to find a satisfactory solution to the problem. Such consultations shall be held immediately.

3. Kazakhstan shall endeavour to ensure that exports into the Community of steel products mentioned in Annex I are spaced out as evenly as possible over the year. Should a sudden and prejudicial surge of imports arise, the Community will be entitled to request consultations in order to find a satisfactory solution to the problem. Such consultations shall be held immediately.

4. In addition to the obligation contained in paragraph 3, where licences issued by the Kazakh authorities have reached 90 % of the quantitative limits for the calendar year in question, either Party may request consultations concerning the quantitative limits for that year. Such consultations shall be held immediately. Pending the outcome of such consultations the Kazakh authorities may continue to issue export licences for the products covered by this Agreement provided they do not exceed the quantities set out in Annex II.

Article 6

1. Where any product covered by this Agreement is being imported into the Community from Kazakhstan under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause substantial injury to Community producers of like products, the Community shall supply Kazakhstan with all relevant information with a view to seeking a solution acceptable to both Parties. The Parties shall commence consultations immediately.

2. Should the consultations referred to in paragraph 1 above fail to lead to agreement within 30 days of the Community's request for consultations, the Community may utilise the right to take action concerning safeguard measures pursuant to the provisions of the PCA.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Agreement, the provisions of Article 13(6) of the PCA shall apply.

Article 7

1. The classification of the products covered by this Agreement is based on the tariff and statistical nomenclature of the Community (hereinafter called the "Combined Nomenclature", or in abbreviated form "CN") and any amendments thereof. Any amendment to the Combined Nomenclature (CN) made in accordance with the procedures in force in the Community concerning the products covered by this Agreement or any decision relating to the classification of goods shall not have the effect of reducing the quantitative limits set out in Annex II.

2. The origin of the products covered by this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the rules in force in the Community. Any amendment to these rules of origin shall be communicated to Kazakhstan and shall not have the effect of reducing the quantitative limits set out in Annex II. The procedures for control of the origin of the products referred to above are laid down in Protocol A.

Article 8

1. Without prejudice to the periodic exchange of information on export licences and import authorisations pursuant to Article 4(1) of this Agreement, the Parties agree to exchange full statistical information relating to the products mentioned in Annex I at appropriate intervals taking account of the shortest periods in which the information in question is prepared which shall cover export licences and import authorisations issued pursuant to Article 3 of this Agreement, import and export statistics in respect of the products in question.

2. Either Party may request consultations in the event of any significant discrepancy between the information exchanged.

Article 9

1. Without prejudice to provisions concerning consultations foreseen in respect of specific circumstances in preceding Articles, consultations shall be held on any problems arising from the application of this Agreement at the request of either of the Parties. Any consultations shall take place in a spirit of cooperation and with a desire to reconcile the differences between the Parties.

2. Where this Agreement provides that consultations shall be held immediately, the Contracting Parties undertake to use all reasonable means to ensure that this is achieved.

3. All other consultations shall be governed by the following provisions:

- any request for consultations shall be notified in writing to the other Party,

- where appropriate, the request shall be followed within a reasonable period by a report setting out the reasons for the consultations,

- consultations shall begin within one month from the date of the request,

- consultations shall arrive at a mutually acceptable result within one month of their commencement, unless the period is extended by agreement between the Parties.

4. Specific additional consultations may also be held by agreement between the Contracting Parties.

Article 10

1. Both Parties aim at achieving complete liberalisation of trade in steel products and recognize that it is an important condition for promoting trade between them that competition, State aid and environment provisions applicable within each Party must be compatible. To this end, and upon request from Kazakhstan the Community shall provide technical assistance to help the Republic of Kazakhstan to adopt and implement legislative provisions compatible with those adopted and applied by the Community. Such assistance shall be specified in projects to be agreed by both Parties and identifying clearly, inter alia, the objectives, the means and the calendar.

2. The Parties agree that they will participate to the negotiation of international agreements on State aid and subsidies in the steel sector if such a forum is set up.

Article 11

1. When the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community expires on 23 July 2002, the European Community shall take over all rights and obligations contracted by the former under this Agreement.

2. The Parties agree that this Agreement will be continued and that all rights and obligations of the Parties under this Agreement shall be maintained after such expiry.

3. The reference in Article 17 of the PCA to products covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community shall be read to refer to products listed in Annex III after the expiry of the said Treaty.

Article 12

1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the day of its signature. It shall be applicable until 31 December 2004 unless it is denounced in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3.

2. Either Party may at any time propose modifications to this Agreement which at the request of either Party shall be the subject of consultations.

3. Either Party may denounce this Agreement, provided that at least six months' notice is given. In that event, the Agreement shall come to an end on the expiry of the period of notice and the quantitative limits in the Community established in Annex 2 of this Agreement shall be reduced on a pro rata basis up to the date on which denunciation takes effect unless the Parties decide otherwise by common agreement.

4. In the event that Kazakhstan accedes to the WTO before the expiration of this Agreement, the Agreement shall be reviewed prior to such accession to ensure that its provisions are consistent with WTO rules. The operation of the Agreement shall also be reviewed in the event of new multilateral commitments accepted both by the Community and Kazakhstan concerning the steel products mentioned in Annex I.

5. The Community reserves the right at all times to take all appropriate measures including, where the Parties are unable to reach a mutually satisfactory solution in the consultations foreseen in previous Articles or where this Agreement is denounced by either Party, the reintroduction of a system of autonomous quotas in respect of exports from Kazakhstan of the products mentioned in Annex I.

6. The Annexes and Protocol A attached to this Agreement shall form an integral part thereof.

Article 13

This Agreement shall be drawn up in duplicate in the Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Kazakh and Russian languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.

Hecho en Bruselas, el veintidós de julio de dos mil dos./Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den toogtyvende juli to tusind og to./Geschehen zu Brüssel am zweiundzwanzigsten Juli zweitausendundzwei./Βρυξέλλες, είκοσι δύο Ιουλίου δύο χιλιάδες δύο./Done at Brussels, on the twenty-second day of July two thousand and two./Fait à Bruxelles, le vingt-deux juillet deux mille deux./Fatto a Bruxelles, addì ventidue luglio duemiladue./Gedaan te Brussel, tweeëntwintig juli tweeduizend en twee./Feito em Bruxelas, em vinte e dois de Julho de dois mil e dois./Tehty Brysselissä kahdentenakymmenentenätoisena päivänä heinäkuuta vuonna kaksituhattakaksi./Utfärdad i Bryssel den tjugoandra juli tjugohundratvå./

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Por la Comisión de las Comunidades Europeas/Für die Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften/For Kommissionen for De Europæiske Fællesskaber/Euroopan yhteisöjen komission puolesta/Pour la Commission des Communautés européennes/Για την Επιτροπή των Ευρωπαϊκών Κοινοτήτων/For the Commission of the European Communities/Per la Commissione delle Comunità europee/Voor de Commissie van de Europese Gemeenschappen/Pela Comissão das Comunidades Europeias/På Europeiska gemenskapernas kommissions vägnar/

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Roderick Abbott

Por el Gobierno de la República de Kazajistán/Für die Regierung der Republik Kasachstan/For regeringen for Republikken Kasakhstan/Kazakstanin tasavallan hallituksen puolesta/Pour le gouvernement de la République du Kazakhstan/Για την κυβέρνηση της Δημοκρατίας του Καζακστάν/For the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan/Per il governo della Repubblica di Kazakistan/Voor de regering van de Republiek Kazachstan/Pelo Governo da República do Cazaquistão/På Republiken Kazakstans regerings vägnar/

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Mazhit Yessenbaev

(1) OJ L 196, 28.7.1999, p. 3.

ANNEX I

KAZAKHSTAN

SA. FLAT-ROLLED PRODUCTS

SA1. Coils

7208 10 00

7208 25 00

7208 26 00

7208 27 00

7208 36 00

7208 37 90

7208 38 90

7208 39 90

7211 14 10

7211 19 20

7219 11 00

7219 12 10

7219 12 90

7219 13 10

7219 13 90

7219 14 10

7219 14 90

7225 20 20

7225 30 00

SA1a. Hot rolled coils for re-rolling

7208 37 10

7208 38 10

7208 39 10

SA2. Heavy plate

7208 40 10

7208 51 10

7208 51 30

7208 51 50

7208 51 91

7208 51 99

7208 52 10

7208 52 91

7208 52 99

7208 53 10

7211 13 00

SA3. Other flat rolled products

7208 40 90

7208 53 90

7208 54 10

7208 54 90

7208 90 10

7209 15 00

7209 16 10

7209 16 90

7209 17 10

7209 17 90

7209 18 10

7209 18 91

7209 18 99

7209 25 00

7209 26 10

7209 26 90

7209 27 10

7209 27 90

7209 28 10

7209 28 90

7209 90 10

7210 11 10

7210 12 11

7210 12 19

7210 20 10

7210 30 10

7210 41 10

7210 49 10

7210 50 10

7210 61 10

7210 69 10

7210 70 31

7210 70 39

7210 90 31

7210 90 33

7210 90 38

7211 14 90

7211 19 90

7211 23 10

7211 23 51

7211 29 20

7211 90 11

7212 10 10

7212 10 91

7212 20 11

7212 30 11

7212 40 10

7212 40 91

7212 50 31

7212 50 51

7212 60 11

7212 60 91

7219 21 10

7219 21 90

7219 22 10

7219 22 90

7219 23 00

7219 24 00

7219 31 00

7219 32 10

7219 32 90

7219 33 10

7219 33 90

7219 34 10

7219 34 90

7219 35 10

7219 35 90

7225 40 80

ANNEX II

QUANTITATIVE LIMITS

>TABLE>

ANNEX III

PRODUCTS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 11

7201 10 11

7201 10 19

7201 10 30

7201 10 90

7201 50 10

7201 50 90

7202 11 20

7202 11 80

7202 99 11

7203 10 00

7203 90 00

7204 10 00

7204 21 10

7204 21 90

7204 29 00

7204 30 00

7204 41 10

7204 41 91

7204 41 99

7204 49 10

7204 49 30

7204 49 91

7204 49 99

7204 50 10

7204 50 90

7206 10 00

7206 90 00

7207 11 11

7207 11 14

7207 11 16

7207 12 10

7207 19 11

7207 19 14

7207 19 16

7207 19 31

7207 20 11

7207 20 15

7207 20 17

7207 20 32

7207 20 51

7207 20 55

7207 20 57

7207 20 71

7208 10 00

7208 25 00

7208 26 00

7208 27 00

7208 36 00

7208 37 10

7208 37 90

7208 38 10

7208 38 90

7208 39 10

7208 39 90

7208 40 10

7208 40 90

7208 51 10

7208 51 30

7208 51 50

7208 51 91

7208 51 99

7208 52 10

7208 52 91

7208 52 99

7208 53 10

7208 53 90

7208 54 10

7208 54 90

7208 90 10

7209 15 00

7209 16 10

7209 16 90

7209 17 10

7209 17 90

7209 18 10

7209 18 91

7209 18 99

7209 25 00

7209 26 10

7209 26 90

7209 27 10

7209 27 90

7209 28 10

7209 28 90

7209 90 10

7210 11 10

7210 12 11

7210 12 19

7210 20 10

7210 30 10

7210 41 10

7210 49 10

7210 50 10

7210 61 10

7210 69 10

7210 70 31

7210 70 39

7210 90 31

7210 90 33

7210 90 38

7211 13 00

7211 14 10

7211 14 90

7211 19 20

7211 19 90

7211 23 10

7211 23 51

7211 29 20

7211 90 11

7212 10 10

7212 10 91

7212 20 11

7212 30 11

7212 40 10

7212 40 91

7212 50 31

7212 50 51

7212 60 11

7212 60 91

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

7214 20 00

7214 30 00

7214 91 10

7214 91 90

7214 99 10

7214 99 31

7214 99 39

7214 99 50

7214 99 61

7214 99 69

7214 99 80

7214 99 90

7215 90 10

7216 10 00

7216 21 00

7216 22 00

7216 31 11

7216 31 19

7216 31 91

7216 31 99

7216 32 11

7216 32 19

7216 32 91

7216 32 99

7216 33 10

7216 33 90

7216 40 10

7216 40 90

7216 50 10

7216 50 91

7216 50 99

7216 99 10

7218 91 11

7218 91 19

7218 99 11

7218 99 20

7219 11 00

7219 12 10

7219 12 90

7219 13 10

7219 13 90

7219 14 10

7219 14 90

7219 21 10

7219 21 90

7219 22 10

7219 22 90

7219 23 00

7219 24 00

7219 31 00

7219 32 10

7219 32 90

7219 33 10

7219 33 90

7219 34 10

7219 34 90

7219 35 10

7219 35 90

7219 90 10

7220 11 00

7220 12 00

7220 20 10

7220 90 11

7220 90 31

7221 00 10

7221 00 90

7222 11 11

7222 11 19

7222 11 21

7222 11 29

7222 11 91

7222 11 99

7222 19 10

7222 19 90

7222 30 10

7222 40 10

7222 40 30

7224 10 00

7224 90 01

7224 90 05

7224 90 08

7224 90 15

7224 90 31

7224 90 39

7225 11 00

7225 19 10

7225 19 90

7225 20 20

7225 30 00

7225 40 20

7225 40 50

7225 40 80

7225 50 00

7225 91 10

7225 92 10

7225 99 10

7226 11 10

7226 19 10

7226 19 30

7226 20 20

7226 91 10

7226 91 90

7226 92 10

7226 93 20

7226 94 20

7226 99 20

7227 10 00

7227 20 00

7227 90 10

7227 90 50

7227 90 95

7228 10 10

7228 10 30

7228 20 11

7228 20 19

7228 30 20

7228 30 41

7228 30 49

7228 30 61

7228 30 69

7228 30 70

7228 30 89

7228 60 10

7228 70 10

7228 70 31

7228 80 10

7228 80 90

7301 10 00

7302 10 31

7302 10 39

7302 10 90

7302 20 00

7302 40 10

7302 90 10

Agreed minute

In the context of the Agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and Kazakhstan on trade in certain steel products signed in Brussels, on 22 July 2002, the Parties agree that:

- in pursuance of the exchange of information foreseen in Article 4(1) concerning export licences and import authorisations the parties will supply that information by reference to the Member States in addition to the Community as a whole,

- pending the satisfactory outcome of the consultations foreseen by Article 5(2), Kazakhstan will cooperate, if so requested by the Community, by not issuing export licences that would further aggravate the problems resulting from sudden and prejudicial changes in traditional trade flows; and

- Kazakhstan will take due account of the sensitive nature of small regional markets within the Community both as regards their traditional needs for supplies and the avoidance of regional concentrations.

PROTOCOL A

TITLE I

CLASSIFICATION

Article 1

1. The competent authorities of the Community undertake to inform Kazakhstan of any changes in the Combined Nomenclature (CN) in respect of products covered by the Agreement before the date of their entry into force in the Community.

2. The competent authorities of the Community undertake to inform the competent authorities of Kazakhstan of any decisions relating to the classification of products covered by the Agreement within one month of their adoption at the latest.

Such a description shall include:

(a) a description of the products concerned,

(b) the relevant CN codes,

(c) the reasons which have led to the decision.

3. Where a decision on classification results in a change of classification practice of any product covered by the Agreement, the competent authorities of the Community shall provide 30 days notice, from the date of the Community's communication, before the decision is put into effect. Products shipped before the date of entry into effect of the decision shall remain subject to the earlier classification practice, provided that the goods in question are presented for importation into the Community within 60 days of that date.

4. Where a Community decision on classification resulting in a change of classification practice of any product covered by the Agreement affects a category subject to quantitative limits, the Parties agree to enter into consultations in accordance with the procedures described in Article 9(3) of the Agreement with a view to honouring the obligation contained in Article 7(1) of the Agreement.

5. In case of divergent opinions between the competent authorities of Kazakhstan and the Community at the point of entry into the Community on the classification of products covered by the Agreement, classification shall provisionally be based on indications provided by the Community, pending consultations in accordance with Article 9 with a view to reaching agreement on the definitive classification of the products concerned.

TITLE II

ORIGIN

Article 2

1. Products originating in Kazakhstan according to the Community Regulations in force for export to the Community in accordance with the arrangements established by the Agreement shall be accompanied by a certificate of Kazakh origin conforming to the model annexed to this Protocol.

2. The certificate of origin shall be certified by the Kazakh organisations authorised for such purposes under Kazakh legislation as to whether the products in question can be considered as products originating in Kazakhstan.

Article 3

The certificate of origin shall be issued only on application having been made in writing by the exporter or, under the exporter's responsibility, by his authorised representative. The Kazakh organisations authorised for such purposes under Kazakh legislation shall ensure that the certificate of origin is properly completed and for this purpose they shall call for any necessary documentary evidence or carry out any check which they consider appropriate.

Article 4

The discovery of slight discrepancies between the statements made in the certificate of origin and those made in the documents produced to the customs office for the purpose of carrying out the formalities for importing the products shall not ipso facto cast doubt upon the statements in the certificate.

TITLE III

DOUBLE-CHECKING SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO QUANTITATIVE LIMITS

SECTION I

Exportation

Article 5

The appropriate Kazakh governmental authorities shall issue an export licence in respect of all consignments from Kazakhstan of steel products covered by the Agreement up to the quantitative limits set out in Annex II of the Agreement.

Article 6

1. The export licence shall conform to the model annexed to this Protocol and it shall be valid for exports throughout the customs territory of the Community.

2. Each export licence must certify inter alia that the quantity of the product in question has been set off against the relevant quantitative limit established for the product concerned in Annex II of the Agreement.

Article 7

The competent authorities of the Community must be informed immediately of the withdrawal or modification of any export licence already issued.

Article 8

1. Exports shall be set off against the quantitative limits established for the year in which the shipment of goods has been effected even if the export licence is issued after such shipment.

2. For the purposes of applying paragraph 1, shipment of goods is considered to have taken place on the date of their loading onto the exporting transport.

Article 9

The presentation of an export licence, in application of Article 11, shall be effected not later than 31 March of the year following that in which the goods covered by the licence have been shipped.

SECTION II

Importation

Article 10

1. Steel products originating in Kazakhstan, covered by a valid import licence issued pursuant to Decision 2001/934/ECSC(1), as amended, which were already sent to the Community before the date of entry into force of this Agreement shall be admitted within the limits applicable for the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002.

2. The release for free circulation into the Community of steel products subject to quantitative limits shall be subject to the presentation of an import authorisation.

Article 11

1. The competent authorities of the Community shall issue the import authorisation referred to in Article 8 above, within 10 working days of the presentation by the importer of the original of the corresponding export licence. A list of the competent authorities is annexed to this Protocol.

2. The import authorisations shall be valid for four months from the date of their issue for imports throughout the customs territory of the Community.

3. The competent authorities of the Community shall cancel the import authorisation already issued whenever the corresponding export licence has been withdrawn. However, if the competent authorities of the Community are notified of the withdrawal or the cancellation of the export licence only after the release for free circulation of the products into the Community, the relevant quantities shall be set off against the limits established for the product.

Article 12

If the competent authorities of the Community find that the total quantities covered by export licences issued by the competent authorities of Kazakhstan exceed the relevant quantitative limit established for products covered by Annex II of the Agreement the Community authorities shall suspend the further issue of import authorisations in respect of products covered by the quantitative limit in question. In this event, the competent authorities of the Community shall immediately inform the authorities of Kazakhstan and immediate consultations pursuant to Article 9(2) of the Agreement shall be initiated.

TITLE IV

FORM AND PRODUCTION OF EXPORT LICENCES AND CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN, AND COMMON PROVISIONS CONCERNING EXPORTS TO THE COMMUNITY

Article 13

1. The export licence and the certificate of origin may comprise additional copies duly indicated as such. They shall be made out in English. If they are completed by hand, entries must be in ink and in printed script.

These documents shall measure 210 × 297 mm. The paper used shall be white writing paper, sized, not containing mechanical pulp, and weighing not less than 25 g/m2. If the documents have several copies only the top copy, which is the original, shall be printed with the guilloche pattern background. This copy shall be clearly marked "original" and the other copies "copies". Only the original shall be accepted by the competent authorities of the Community as being valid for the purpose of export to the Community in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement.

2. Each document shall bear a standardised serial number, whether or not printed, by which it can be identified.

This number shall be composed of the following elements:

- two letters identifying the exporting country as follows:

KZ= Kazakhstan,

- two letters identifying the intended Member State of customs clearance as follows:

BE= Belgium

DK= Denmark

DE= Germany

EL= Greece

ES= Spain

FR= France

IE= Ireland

IT= Italy

LU= Luxembourg

NL= Netherlands

AT= Austria

PT= Portugal

FI= Finland

SE= Sweden

GB= United Kingdom,

- a one-digit number identifying the year in question corresponding to the last figure in the year, e.g. "2" for 2002,

- a two-digit number from 01 to 99, identifying the particular issuing office concerned in exporting country,

- a five-digit number running consecutively from 00001 to 99999 allocated to the intended Member State of customs clearance.

Article 14

The export licence and the certificate of origin may be issued after the shipment of the products to which they relate. In such cases, they must bear the endorsement "issued retrospectively".

Article 15

1. In the event of the theft, loss or destruction of an export licence or a certificate of origin, the exporter may apply to the Kazakh governmental authorities competent to issue licences or to the Kazakh organisations authorised to issue certificates of origin under Kazakh legislation, respectively, for a duplicate to be made out on the basis of the export documents in his possession. The duplicate of any such certificate or licence so issued shall bear the endorsement "duplicate".

2. The duplicate shall bear the date of the original export licence or certificate of origin.

TITLE V

ADMINISTRATIVE COOPERATION

Article 16

The Parties shall cooperate closely in the implementation of the provisions of this Protocol. To this end, contacts and exchanges of views, including on technical matters, shall be facilitated by both Parties.

Article 17

In order to ensure the correct application of this Protocol, the Parties shall offer mutual assistance for the checking of the authenticity and the accuracy of export licences and certificates of origin issued or of any declarations made within the terms of this Protocol.

Article 18

Kazakhstan shall send the Commission of the European Communities the names and addresses of the competent Kazakh authorities which are authorised to issue and to verify export licences and certificates of origin together with specimens of the stamps and signatures they use. Kazakhstan shall also notify the Commission of any change in this information.

Article 19

1. Subsequent verification of certificates of origin or export licences shall be carried out at random, or whenever the competent Community authorities have reasonable doubt as to the authenticity of the certificate or licence or as to the accuracy of the information regarding the true origin of the products in question.

2. In such cases, the competent authorities in the Community shall return the certificate of origin or the export licence or a copy thereof to the appropriate Kazakh authorities giving, where appropriate, the reasons of form or substance which justify an enquiry. If the invoice has been submitted, such invoice or a copy thereof shall be attached to the certificate or to the licence or their copies. The authorities shall also forward any information that has been obtained suggesting that the particulars given on the said certificate or licence are inaccurate.

3. The provisions of paragraph 1 above shall also apply to subsequent verifications of the certificates of origin provided for in Article 2 of this Protocol.

4. The results of the subsequent verifications carried out in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 above shall be communicated to the competent authorities of the Community within three months at the latest. The information communicated shall indicate whether the disputed certificate, licence or declaration, applies to the goods actually exported and whether these goods are eligible for export under the arrangements established by the Agreement. The information shall also include, at the request of the Community, copies of all the documentation necessary to fully determine the facts, and in particular the true origin of the goods.

Should such verifications reveal systematic irregularities in the use of certificates of origin, the Community may subject imports of the products in question to the provisions of Article 2(1) of this Protocol.

5. For the purpose of subsequent verification of certificates of origin, copies of the certificates as well as any export documents referring to them shall be kept by the appropriate Kazakh authorities for at least one year following the end of the Agreement.

6. Recourse to the random verification procedure specified in this Article must not constitute an obstacle to the release for free circulation of the products in question.

Article 20

1. Where the verification procedure referred to in Article 19 or where information available to the competent authorities of the Community or of Kazakhstan indicates or appears to indicate that the provisions of the Agreement are being circumvented or infringed, the two Parties shall cooperate closely and with the appropriate urgency in order to prevent any such circumvention or infringement.

2. To this end, the appropriate Kazakh authorities shall, on their own initiative or at the request of the Community, carry out appropriate inquiries, or arrange for such inquiries to be carried out, concerning operations which are, or appear to the Community to be, in circumvention or infringement of this Protocol. Kazakhstan shall communicate the results of these inquiries to the Community, including any other pertinent information enabling the cause of the circumvention or infringement, including the true origin of the goods to be determined.

3. By agreement between the Parties, officials designated by the Community may be present at the inquiries referred to in paragraph 2 above.

4. In pursuance of the cooperation referred to in paragraph 1 above, the competent authorities of the Community and Kazakhstan shall exchange any information considered by either Party to be of use in preventing circumvention or infringement of the provisions of the Agreement. These exchanges may include information on the trade in the type of products covered by the Agreement between Kazakhstan and third countries, particularly where the Community has reasonable grounds to consider that the products in question may be in transit across the territory of Kazakhstan prior to their importation into the Community. This information may include at the request of the Community copies of all relevant documentation, where available.

5. Where sufficient evidence shows that the provisions of this Protocol have been circumvented or infringed, the competent authorities of Kazakhstan and the Community may agree to take any measures as are necessary to prevent a recurrence of such circumvention or infringement.

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LISTA DE LAS AUTORIDADES NACIONALES COMPETENTES/LISTE OVER KOMPETENTE NATIONALE MYNDIGHEDER/LISTE DER ZUSTÄNDIGEN BEHÖRDEN DER MITGLIEDSTAATEN/ΔΙΕΥΘΥΝΣΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΧΩΝ ΕΚΔΟΣΗΣ ΑΔΕΙΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΚΡΑΤΩΝ ΜΕΛΩΝ/LIST OF THE COMPETENT NATIONAL AUTHORITIES/LISTE DES AUTORIΤÉS NATIONALES COMPÉTENTES/ELENCO DELLE COMPETENTI AUTORITÀ NAZIONALI/LIJST VAN BEVOEGDE NATIONALE INSTANTIES/LISTA DAS AUTORIDADES NACIONAIS COMPETENTES/LUETTELO TOIMIVALTAISISTA KANSALLISISTA VIRANOMAISISTA/FÖRTECKNING ÖVER BEHÖRIGA NATIONELLA MYNDIGHETER

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

Ministère des affaires économiques

Administration des relations économiques

Services licences

Rue Général Leman 60 B - 1040 Bruxelles Fax: (32-2) 230 83 22 Ministerie van Economische Zaken

Bestuur van de Economische Betrekkingen

Dienst Vergunningen

Generaal Lemanstraat 60 B - 1040 Brussel Fax: (32-2) 230 83 22

DANMARK

Erhvervsfremme Styrelsen

Økonomi- og Erhvervsministeriet

Vejlsøvej 29 DK - 8600 Silkeborg Fax (45) 35 45 64 01

DEUTSCHLAND

Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle, (BAFA) Frankfurter Straße 29-35 D - 65760 Eschborn 1 Fax: (49-6196) 942 26

ΕΛΛΑΣ

Υπουργείο Εθνικής Οικονομίας

Γενική Γραμματεία Διεθνών Σχέσεων

Διεύθυνση Διεθνών Οικονομικών Ροών

Κορνάρου 1 GR - 105 63 Αθήνα Fax: (30 10) 328 60 94

ESPAÑA

Ministerio de Economía

Dirección General de Comercio Exterior

Paseo de la Castellana 162 E - 28046 Madrid Fax: + (34) 915 63 18 23/913 49 38 31

FRANCE

Setice 8, rue de la Tour-des-Dames F - 75436 Paris Cedex 09 Fax: + (33) 155 07 46 69

IRELAND

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Import/ Export Licensing, Block C

Earlsfort Centre

Hatch Street Dublin 2 Ireland Fax: (353-1) 631 28 26

ITALIA

Ministero delle Attività produttive

Direzione generale per la Politica commerciale e per la gestione del regime degli scambi

Viale America, 341 I - 00144 Roma Fax: (39-06) 59 93 22 35/59 93 26 36

LUXEMBOURG

Ministère des affaires étrangères

Office des licences

BP 113 L - 2011 Luxembourg Fax: (352) 46 61 38

NEDERLAND

Belastingdienst/Douane centrale dienst voor in- en uitvoer Postbus 30003, Engelse Kamp 2 9700 RD Groningen Nederland Fax: (31) 505 26 06 98

m.i.v. 18.1.2002

Fax: + (31) 505 23 23 41

ÖSTERREICH

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit

Außenwirtschaftsadministration

Landstrasser Hauptstraße 55-57 A - 1030 Wien Fax: + 43-1-711 00/8386

PORTUGAL

Ministério da Economia

Direcção-Geral das Relações Económicas Internacionais

Alfândega de Lisboa, Largo do Terreiro do Trigo P - 1100 Lisboa Fax: (351-21) 881 42 61

SUOMI

Tullihallitus PL 512 FIN - 00101 Helsinki Faksi: (358-9) 614 28 52

SVERIGE

Kommerskollegium Box 6803 S - 113 86 Stockholm Fax: (46-8) 30 67 59

UNITED KINGDOM

Department of Trade and Industry

Import Licensing Branch

Queensway House, West Precinct Billingham Cleveland TS23 2NF United Kingdom Fax: (44) 1642 533 557

(1) OJ L 345, 29.12.2001, p. 78.