EN Official Journal of the European Union L 300/51

COUNCIL DECISION

of 22 October 2007

concerning the conclusion of an agreement between the European Community and the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel products

(2007/739/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133, in conjunction with Article 300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Russian Federation (1), hereinafter referred to as ‘the PCA’, entered into force on 1 December 1997.

(2) Article 21(1) of the PCA provides that trade in certain steel products is governed by Title III of that Agreement with the exception of Article 15 thereof, and by the provisions of an agreement on quantitative arrangements.

(3) For the years 1995-2006, trade in certain steel products was the subject of agreements between the Parties to the PCA. It is therefore appropriate to conclude a new agreement which takes account of the developments in the relationship between the Parties.

(4) The Agreement should be approved,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

1. The Agreement between the European Community and the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel products is hereby approved on behalf of the Community.

2. The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement in order to bind the Community.

Done at Luxembourg, 22 October 2007. For the Council The President J. SILVA

(1) OJ L 327, 28.11.1997, p. 3.

EN Official Journal of the European Union L 300/52

AGREEMENT

between the European Community and the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel products

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY,

of the one part, and

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION,

of the other part,

being the Parties to this Agreement,

WHEREAS the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the ‘PCA’) establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part (1), entered into force on 1 December 1997;

WHEREAS the Parties are desirous to promote the orderly and equitable development of trade in steel between the European Community (hereinafter referred to as the ‘community’) and the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as ‘Russia’);

WHEREAS Article 21 of the PCA provides that trade in the steel products of the former European Coal and Steel Community, hereinafter referred to as ‘ECSC’, shall be governed by Title III, save for Article 15 thereof, and by the provisions of an agreement;

WHEREAS this Agreement is the agreement referred to in Article 21 of the PCA;

BEARING in mind the process of accession of Russia to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Community support for the integration of Russia into the international trading system;

WHEREAS for the years 1995-2006 trade in certain steel products was the subject of agreements; it is appropriate to put in place a new agreement which takes account of developments in the relationship between the Parties;

WHEREAS this Agreement should be accompanied by cooperation between the Parties in respect of their steel industries, including appropriate exchanges of information, within the Contact Group on coal and steel as foreseen in Protocol 1 to the PCA,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

1. This Agreement applies to trade in former ECSC steel products.

2. Trade in steel products set out in Annex I may be subject to quantitative limits.

3. Trade in steel products not set out in Annex I shall not be subject to quantitative limits.

4. In the case of steel products and subject matters which are not covered by this Agreement, the relevant provisions of the PCA shall apply.

Article 2

1. The Parties agree to establish and maintain for the period of validity of the present Agreement for each calendar year quantitative arrangements fixing the limits set out in Annex II on Russian exports to the Community of the products set out in Annex I. Such exports shall be subject to a double-checking system as specified in Protocol A attached to this Agreement.

2. The Parties agree that imports into the Community from Russia of products included in Annex I as from 1 January 2007 until the entry into force of this Agreement shall be deducted from the quantitative limits set out in Annex II.

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

4. In the case where candidate countries for membership of the European Union accede before the termination of this Agreement, the Parties agree to consider increasing the quantitative limits set out in Annex II.

Article 3

1. Imports into the customs territory of the Community for free circulation of the products set out in Annex I shall be subject to the presentation of an import authorisation issued by the competent authority of a Member State based on the production of an export licence issued by the authorities of Russia, and to proof of origin in accordance with the provisions of Protocol A attached to this Agreement.

2. Imports into the customs territory of the Community of the products set out 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. Carry-over to the corresponding quantitative limits for the following calendar year of the amounts of quantitative limits not used during the first calendar year is authorised up to 7 % of the relevant quantitative limit set out in Annex II for a product group in question for the year in which it was not used. Russia shall notify the Community no later than 31 March of the following year if it intends to make use of this provision.

4. Up to 7 % of the quantitative limit for a given product group may be transferred to one or more other groups within the same product category, that is to say within categories SA or SB. Furthermore, transfers between SA and SB categories are permitted up to 25 000 tonnes. In addition, up to another 25 000 tonnes may be transferred between SA and SB following agreement between the Parties. After Russia’s request to transfer this additional 25 000 tonnes, the Community shall inform Russia of its decision within a reasonable period of time, if possible within 60 days from the date of receipt of the request. Such transfers can take place once in the course of a calendar year. Any adjustments to the quantitative limits resulting from transfers shall only affect the calendar year in progress. Russia shall notify the Community no later than 1 May 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 Community authorities shall inform Russia by the 28th of each month of the import authorisations issued during the preceding month,

— the Russian authorities shall inform the Community by the 28th of each month of the export licences 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, the Community and Russia agree to take all necessary steps to prevent, to investigate and to take any necessary legal and/or administration action against circumvention, notably 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. Accordingly, the Community and Russia 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 the Community believe on the basis of information available that this Agreement is being circumvented, the Community may request consultations with Russia which shall be held immediately.

4. Pending the results of the consultations referred to in paragraph 3, Russia shall, as a precautionary measure, and if so requested by the Community, take all necessary measures to ensure that, where sufficient evidence of circumvention is provided, adjustments of the quantitative limits liable to be agreed following the consultations referred to in paragraph 3 shall be 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:

(a) where there is sufficient evidence that products covered by this Agreement originating in Russia have been imported in circumvention of this Agreement, to set off the relevant quantities against the quantitative limits established under the Agreement;

(b) where sufficient evidence shows false declaration concerning quantities, description or classification has occurred, to refuse to import the products in question.

6. 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 established under this Agreement on imports into the Community of the steel products set out in Annex I 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 customers), 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. Russia shall endeavour to ensure that exports into the Community of products set out 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 Russian 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 Russian authorities may continue to issue export licences for the products set out in Annex I provided they do not exceed the quantities set out in Annex II.

Article 6

1. Where any product set out in Annex I is being imported into the Community from Russia under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause substantial injury to Community producers of like products, the Community shall supply Russia with all relevant information with a view to seeking a solution acceptable to both Parties. The Parties shall commence consultations promptly.

2. Should the consultations referred to in paragraph 1 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 18 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’. Any amendment to the Combined Nomenclature (CN) made in accordance with the procedures in force in the Community concerning the products set out in Annex I or any decision relating to the classification of goods shall not have the effect of reducing the quantitative limits of the products 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 Russia and shall not have the effect of reducing the quantitative limits of this Agreement. The procedures for control of the origin of the products referred to above are laid down in Protocol A attached to this Agreement.

Article 8

1. Without prejudice to the periodic exchange of information on export licences and import authorisations pursuant to Article 4(1), the Parties agree to exchange available statistical information relating to trade in the products set out 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 and 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 provided for 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 Party. 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 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 endeavour to arrive at a mutually acceptable result within one month of their commencement, unless the period is extended by agreement between the Parties.

Article 10

1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the day of its signature. It shall remain in force until 31 December 2008 subject to any modifications agreed by the Parties and unless it is denounced or terminated in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 3 or 4. After 31 December 2008 this Agreement shall be automatically renewed year by year provided that neither Party gives the other Party written notice of denunciation of the Agreement at least six months before it expires. With each yearly renewal, quantities in every product group shall be increased by 2,5 %.

2. Either Party may at any time propose modifications to this Agreement which shall require the mutual consent of the Parties and take effect as agreed by them.

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 limits established by this Agreement shall be reduced on a pro rata basis up to the date on which denunciation takes effect unless the Parties decide otherwise.

4. In the event that Russia accedes to the WTO before the expiration of this Agreement, the Agreement shall be terminated as of the date of accession.

5. The Annexes, the agreed minute, the declarations and Protocol A attached to this Agreement shall form an integral part thereof.

This Agreement shall be drawn up in duplicate in the Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Russian languages, each of these texts being equally authentic. Изготвено в Мафра на двадесет и шести октомври, две хиляди и седма година. Hecho en Mafra, el veintiseis de octubre de dos mil siete. V Mafře dne dvacátého šestého října dva tisíce sedm. Udfærdiget i Mafra, den seksogtyvende oktober to tusind og syv. Geschehen zu Mafra am sechsundzwanzigsten Oktober zweitausendsieben. Sõlmitud Mafras kahekümne kuuendal oktoobril kahe tuhande seitsmendal aastal. Έγινε στη Μάφρα, στις είκοσι έξι Οκτωβρίου δύο χιλιάδες επτά. Done at Mafra on the twenty-sixth day of October in the year two thousand and seven. Fait à Mafra, le vingt-six octobre deux mille sept. Fatto a Mafra, addì ventisei ottobre duemilasette. Mafrā, divi tūkstoši septītā gada divdesmit sestajā oktobrī. Priimta Mafroje, du tūkstančiai septintųjų metų spalio dvidešimt šeštą dieną. Kelt Mafrában, a kétezer-hetedik év október havának huszonhatodik napján. Magħmul f'Mafra, fis-sitta u għoxrin jum ta' Ottubru fis-sena elfejn u sebgħa. Gedaan te Mafra, de zesentwintigste oktober tweeduizendzeven. Sporządzono w Mafrze dnia dwudziestego szóstego października dwa tysiące siódmego roku. Feito em Mafra, em vinte e seis de Outubro de dois mil e sete. Întocmit la Mafra la douăzeci și șase octombrie două mii șapte. V Mafre dvadsiateho šiesteho októbra dvetisícsedem. V Mafri, šestindvajsetega oktobra leta dva tisoč sedem. Tehty Mafrassa kahdentenakymmenentenäkuudentena päivänä lokakuuta vuonna kaksituhattaseitsemän. Som skedde i Mafra den tjugosjätte oktober år tjugohundrasju. Совершено в г. Мафра двадцать шестого октября 2007 г. За Европейската общност Por la Comunidad Europea Za Evropské společenství For Det Europæiske Fællesskab Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft Euroopa Ühenduse nimel Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα For the European Community Pour la Communauté européenne Per la Comunità europea Eiropas Kopienas vārdā Europos bendrijos vardu Az Európai Közösség részéről Għall-Komunitá Ewropea Voor de Europese Gemeenschap W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej Pela Comunidade Europeia Pentru Comunitatea Europeană Za Európske spoločenstvo Za Evropsko skupnost Euroopan yhteisön puolesta På Europeiska gemenskapens vägnar За Европейскoe coобщнeстbo За Руската Федерация Por la Federación de Rusia Za Ruskou federaci For Den Russiske Føderation Für die Russische Föderation Venemaa Föderatsiooni nimel Για τη Ρωσική Ομοσπονδία For the Russian Federation Pour la Fédération de Russie Per la Federazione russa Krievijas Federācijas vārdā Rusijos Federacijos vardu Az Orosz Föderáció részéről Għall-Federazzjoni Russa Voor de Russische Federatie W imieniu Federacji Rosyjskiej Pela Federação da Rússia Pentru Federația Rusă Za Ruskú federáciu Za Rusko federacijo Venäjän federaation puolesta På ryska federationen vägnar За Pоссийскую Федерацико

(1) OJ L 327, 28.11.1997, p. 3.

ANNEX I

SA. Flat-rolled products

SA1. Coils

7208100000

7208250000

7208260000

7208270000

7208360000

7208370010

7208370090

7208380010

7208380090

7208390010

7208390090

7211140010

7211190010

7219110000

7219121000

7219129000

7219131000

7219139000

7219141000

7219149000

7225303010

7225401510

7225502010

7225301000

7225309000

SA2. Heavy plate

7208400010

7208512010

7208512091

7208512093

7208512097

7208512098

7208519100

7208519810

7208519891

7208519899

7208529100

7208521000

7208529900

7208531000

7211130000

SA3. Other flat-rolled products

7208400090

7208539000

7208540000

7208908010

7209150000

7209161000

7209169000

7209171000

7209179000

7209181000

7209189100

7209189900

7209250000

7209261000

7209269000

7209271000

7209279000

7209281000

7209289000

7209908010

7210110010

7210122010

7210128010

7210200010

7210300010

7210410010

7210490010

7210500010

7210610010

7210690010

7210701010

7210708010

7210903010

7210904010

7210908091

7211140090

7211190090

7211233091

7211238091

7211290010

7211908010

7212101000

7212109011

7212200011

7212300011

7212402010

7212402091

7212408011

7212502011

7212503011

7212504011

7212506111

7212506911

7212509013

7212600011

7212600091

7219211000

7219219000

7219221000

7219229000

7219230000

7219240000

7219310000

7219321000

7219329000

7219331000

7219339000

7219341000

7219349000

7219351000

7219359000

7225401290

7225409000

SA4. Alloyed products

7226200010

7226912000

7226919100

7226919900

7226997010

SA5. Alloyed quarto plates

7225401230

7225404000

7225406000

7225990010

SA6. Alloyed cold-rolled and coated sheets

7225508000

7225910010

7225920010

7226920010

SB. Long products

SB1. Beams

7207198010

7207208010

7216311000

7216319000

7216321100

7216321900

7216329100

7216329900

7216331000

7216339000

SB2. Wire rod

7213100000

7213200000

7213911000

7213912000

7213914100

7213914900

7213917000

7213919000

7213991000

7213999000

7221001000

7221009000

7227100000

7227200000

7227901000

7227905000

7227909500

SB3. Other longs

7207191210

7207191291

7207191299

7207205200

7214200000

7214300000

7214911000

7214919000

7214991000

7214993100

7214993900

7214995000

7214997100

7214997900

7214999500

7215900010

7216100000

7216210000

7216220000

7216401000

7216409000

7216501000

7216509100

7216509900

7216990010

7218992000

7222111100

7222111900

7222118100

7222118900

7222191000

7222199000

7222309710

7222401000

7222409010

7224900289

7224903100

7224903800

7228102000

7228201010

7228201091

7228209110

7228209190

7228302000

7228304100

7228304900

7228306100

7228306900

7228307000

7228308900

7228602010

7228608010

7228701000

7228709010

7228800010

7228800090

7301100000

ANNEX II

QUANTITATIVE LIMITS

(tonnes) Products Year 2007 Year 2008 SA. Flat products SA1. Coils 1 042 090 1 035 000 SA2. Heavy plate 270 820 275 000 SA3. Other flat products 565 770 595 000 SA4. Alloyed products 94 860 105 000 SA5. Alloyed quarto plates 20 460 25 000 SA6. Alloyed cold-rolled and coated sheets 105 000 110 000 SB. Long products SB1. Beams 55 800 55 000 SB2. Wire rod 275 000 324 000 SB3. Other long products 474 200 507 000 Note: SA and SB are product categories. SA1 to SA6 and SB1 to SB3 are product groups.

AGREED MINUTE

In the context of this Agreement, the Parties agree that:

— in pursuance of the exchange of information provided for 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,

— if the Parties are unable to reach a satisfactory solution during the consultations provided for in Article 5(2), Russia will cooperate, if so requested by the Community, by not issuing export licences for an intended destination where imports pursuant to such licences would aggravate the problems resulting from sudden and prejudicial changes in traditional trade flows, it being understood that Russia may continue to issue licences for other Community destinations,

— the Parties will cooperate closely in order to prevent sudden and prejudicial changes in traditional trade flows in respect of coils (product group SA1); Russia will give priority to deliveries to its traditional customers for these products in order to avoid disturbing the Community market, and both Parties will inform the other immediately in the event of any emerging problems, and

— Russia 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.

DECLARATION No 1

In the case Russian operators were to set up service centres in the Community that would further process products covered by this Agreement imported from Russia, Russia declares that it could request an increase of quantitative limits mentioned in Annex II. In this case, the Community will examine such request of increase and the Parties will enter into consultations if required.

DECLARATION No 2

The Parties declare that they aim at achieving complete liberalisation of trade in steel products. Both Parties also recognise 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 Russia, the Community shall provide technical assistance, within relevant earmarked budgetary limits, to help Russia to adopt and implement legislative provisions compatible with those adopted and applied by the Community. The technical assistance shall be channelled through detailed projects agreed by both Parties.

DECLARATION No 3

The Parties agree that they shall not apply with respect to the other Party quantitative restrictions, customs duties, charges or any similar measures on the export of ferrous waste and scrap under the EC Combined Nomenclature heading 7204, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 19 of the PCA.

Without prejudice to the previous paragraph, Russia applies currently a tax on exports of ferrous waste and scrap under the EC Combined Nomenclature 7204. The tax is currently set at 15 % but not less than EUR 15 per tonne for all products of 7204, except for product 7204 41 00 where the tax is set at 5 %.

The Parties agree to continue the discussion to find a satisfactory solution. Furthermore, it is understood that the quantitative limits set out in Annex II of the Agreement would be increased by 12 % if Russia removes completely the tax or by a lower percentage to be determined if such tax is reduced, provided that no other measures that would constitute an obstacle to free export are introduced by Russia.

The products of particular interest for the Community are: 7204 10 00, 7204 21 10, 7204 41 10, 7204 49 10, 7204 49 30, 7204 49 91 and 7204 49 99.

PROTOCOL A

TITLE I

CLASSIFICATION

Article 1

The competent authorities of the Community undertake to inform Russia of any changes in the Combined Nomenclature (CN) with complete description of products covered by this Agreement at least one month before the date of their entry into force in the Community.

TITLE II

ORIGIN

Article 2

1. Products covered by this Agreement originating in Russia (origin as defined by the relevant Community Regulations) to be exported to the Community in accordance with the arrangements established by this Agreement shall be accompanied by a certificate of Russian origin conforming to the model annexed to this Protocol.

2. The certificate of origin shall be certified by the competent Russian organisations authorised under Russian legislation as to whether the products in question can be considered products originating in that country.

Article 3

The certificate of origin shall be issued only on application in writing by the exporter or, under the exporter’s responsibility, by his authorised representative. The competent Russian organisations authorised under Russian legislation shall ensure that the certificate of origin is properly completed and for this purpose they shall request any necessary documentary evidence or carry out any checking 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 necessary 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 Russian governmental authorities shall issue an export licence in respect of all consignments from Russia of steel products covered by the Agreement up to the relevant quantitative limits set out in Annex II to 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 to 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 as evidenced by their bill of lading or other transport document.

SECTION II

Importation

Article 9

The release for free circulation into the Community of the products covered by the Agreement shall be subject to the presentation of an import authorisation.

Article 10

1. The presentation by the importer of an export licence shall be made not later than 31 March of the year following that in which the goods covered by the licence have been shipped.

2. The competent authorities of the Community shall issue the import authorisation referred to in Article 9, within 10 working days of the presentation by the importer of the original of the corresponding export licence.

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

4. 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 11

If the competent authorities of the Community find that the total quantity of the products covered by export licences issued by the competent authorities of Russia exceeds the limits set out in Annex II to the Agreement, the Community authorities shall suspend the further issue of import authorisations. In this event, the competent authorities of the Community shall immediately inform the competent authorities of Russia 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 12

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: RU,

— two letters identifying the intended Member State of customs clearance as follows: BE = Belgium BG = Bulgaria CZ = Czech Republic DK = Denmark DE = Germany EE = Estonia EL = Greece ES = Spain FR = France IE = Ireland IT = Italy CY = Cyprus LV = Latvia LT = Lithuania LU = Luxembourg HU = Hungary MT = Malta NL = Netherlands AT = Austria PL = Poland PT = Portugal RO = Romania SI = Slovenia SK = Slovakia 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. ‘7’ for year 2007,

— 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 13

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 14

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 competent Russian authorities which issued the document 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 15

The Community and Russia 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 16

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

Article 17

Russia shall send the Community (European Commission) the names and addresses of the competent Russian governmental authorities which are authorised to issue and to verify export licences and the competent Russian organisations authorised under Russian legislation to issue certificates of origin together with specimens of the stamps and signatures they use. Russia shall also notify the Community (European Commission) of any change in these particulars.

Article 18

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 Russian 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 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 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 or licence 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.

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 competent Russian organisations 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 19

1. Where the verification procedure referred to in Article 18 or where information available to the competent authorities of the Community or of Russia indicates or appears to indicate that the provisions of this 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 Russian 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. Russia 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 Community and Russia, officials designated by the Community may be present at the inquiries referred to in paragraph 2.

4. In pursuance of the cooperation referred to in paragraph 1, the competent authorities of the Community and Russia shall exchange any information considered by either Party to be of use in preventing circumvention or infringement of the provisions of this Agreement. These exchanges may include information on the trade in the type of products covered by this Agreement between Russia 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 Russia 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 Russia and the Community may agree to take any measures necessary to prevent a recurrence of such circumvention or infringement.