NoL38/20 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 8.2.78
COMMISSION DECISION
of23December 1977
extendingDecision75/356/ECSCof24April1975authorizingtheapplicationof
specialtariffmeasurestothecarriagebyrailofironorefromLorraineand
westernFrancetoBelgium,LuxembourgandtheSaar
(OnlytheGermanandFrenchtextsareauthentic)
(78/103/ECSC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
CoalandSteelCommunity ,andinparticularArticles
2to5and70thereof,
Whereastheapplicationofreducedratestothe
carriagebyrailofFrenchironoretoBelgium,Luxem­
bourgandtheSaarhasbeenauthorizedandextended
byanumberofdecisionsoftheHighAuthorityofthe
ECSCandoftheCommission('),ofwhichthemost
recent,dated24April1975,expiredon31December
1976:Whereasintheirrequeststhegovernmentsconcerned
havepointedoutthatthecircumstances whichgave
risetopreviousauthorizationsgrantedbytheCommis­
sionstillprevailtoday,andthat,especiallysincethe
lastDecision,thesituationofFrenchironorehas
worsenedbecauseofthedifficultiesencounteredby
theCommunityironandsteelindustry;
Whereasthecircumstances invokedbythegovern­
mentsconcernedappeartobebeyondquestion;
whereas,despitetheeffortsofrationalization and
modernization undertakenbytheFrenchironore
mines,theyarenotabletoovercomethenegative
repercussions resultingfromtheconjuncturaland
structuralcrisiscurrentlyaffectingtheironandsteel
industry;
Whereas,inthecontextofthesupplyofCommunity
rawmaterials,itisclearlyofinteresttotheCommu­
nityironandsteelindustrythattheFrenchironore
minesshouldcontinuetobeworked,sothatits
sourcesofsupplyare,toacertainextent,guaranteed
againsttherisksassociatedwithimportsfromnon­
membercountries;
Whereastheextensionofthetariffmeasuresinques­
tionhelpstoavoiddisturbancesintheemployment
market;
Whereastheapplicationofthesaidmeasuresisnot
liabletoaffectthecommonmarketincoalandsteel;
whereas,consequently ,theyarenotcontrarytothe
principlesoftheECSCTreaty;
WhereastheCommissionmustreservetherightto
reviewitsDecisionwheneverthecircumstances giving
risetoitvaryornolongerapply,Whereas,bylettersdated24August1977,26October
1977and23November1977,fromtheofficesofthe
PermanentRepresentatives ofFrance,Germanyand
LuxembourgrespectivelytotheEuropeanCommuni­
ties,theFrench,GermanandLuxembourgGovern­
mentsaddressedarequesttotheCommission to
extenduntil31December1977,withthesametariff
reductionsasthoseapplieduntil31December1976,
thespecialtariffmeasureswhichhadbeenauthorized
byCommissionDecision75/356/ECSCof24April
1975(2);
(')Lorraine—Saar:
DecisionNo13/67of7.6.1967,(OJNo116,17.6.
1967),
Decision74/302/ECSCof22.5.1974(OJNoL171,27.
6.1974,p.2);
Lorraine—Belgium:
Decision68/349/ECSCof31.7.1968(OJNoL230,19.
9.1968,p.8),
Decision73/48/ECSCof4.1.1973,(OJNoL83,30.3.
1973,p.36.);
Lorraine—Luxemoourg :
Decision69/268/ECSCof28.7.1969,(OJNoL220,1.9.
1969,p.5),
Decision73/48/ECSCof4.1.1973(OJNoL83,30.3.
1973,p.36);HASADOPTED THISDECISION :
Article1
InArticle1ofDecision75/356/ECSCof24April
1975,thedates'31December1976'and'31
December1974'arereplacedby'31December1977'
and'31December1976'respectively .WesternFrancetoBelgium,LuxembourgandtheSaar:
Decision73/49/ECSCof4.1.1973,(OJNoL83,30.3.
1973,p.38).
(2)OJNoL159,21.6.1975,p.17.

8.2.78 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL38/21
Article2
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheFederalRepublicof
Germany,theFrenchRepublicandtheGrandDuchy
ofLuxembourg .DoneatBrussels,23December1977.
FortheCommission
RichardBURKE
MemberoftheCommission