NoL171/2 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 27.6.74
COMMISSION DECISION
of22May1974
authorizingtheapplicationofspecialtariffmeasurestothecarriagebyrailof
LorraineironoretotheSaar
(OnlytheGermanandFrenchtextsareauthentic)
(74/302/ECSC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
CoalandSteelCommunityandinparticularArticles
2to5and70thereof;
WhereasbyDecisionNo13/67(')of7June1967,the
HighAuthorityoftheECSCauthorizedtheapplica­
tion,until31December1971,ofreducedratestothe
carriagebyrailofLorraineironoretotheSaar;
Whereas,bylettersdated18January1973and21
February1973fromtheOfficesofthePermanent
Representatives ofFranceandGermanyrespectively
totheEuropeanCommunities ,theFrenchand
GermanGovernments ,pursuanttothefourthpara­
graphofArticle70oftheECSCTreaty,addressedto
theCommission oftheEuropeanCommunities a
requestforauthoritytoapply,until31December
1976tothecarriageunderconsideration :
—overtheFrenchsection,areductionof1-01
FF/metrictonasprovidedforinspecialFranco­
GermanTariffNo3101,ofwhich0-33FF/metric
tonwouldbesubsidisedbytheFrenchGovern­
mentand0-68FF/metrictonbytheSNCF;
—overtheGermansection,areductionof0-48
DM/metricton,inthe.formofatariffsubsidy
grantedpursuanttothedirectivesof17October
1967,intheirversionof1December1972,from
theGermanMinisterforEconomicAffairs.
Whereasthetwogovernmentsinvokeinparticularthe
factthattheadvantageprovidedbythesemeasuresto
theLorraineironoreproducersisnecessaryforthe
economicstabilityoftheLorraine/Saarregionand
especiallyforthestabilityofthatregion'sheavy
industry;whereastheSNCFhasacommercial
interestincontinuingtocarrysome4millionmetric
tonsperyear,currentlythreatenedbycompetition
fromorecarriedbyothermeansoftransportatfavou­
rableprices;
Whereas,sincethetwoMemberStatesconcerned
applyseparateratesfortheirrespectivesectionsofthe
journey,thetariffmeasuresinquestionconstitute
'specialinternalratesandconditions'withinthe
meaningofthefourthparagraphofArticle70ofthe
ECSCTreaty;Whereastheseratesandconditions,whileconstituting
anadvantagefortheironminesofLorraine,havenot
beenfoundtoaffectthemarketpositionofpurchases
intheSaar;andthatpurchasersintheSaarhavethe
alternativeofreplacingLorraineorebyorefromother
sourcesunderconditionswhichareatleastsimilarly
favourable ;
Whereas,asregardstheironminesofLorraine,
limitedStateaidtosupplementtheeffortsbeingmade
byundertakingsthemselvesisjustifiedinthelightof
presentmarketconditions ;
Whereassuchaidwillmakeiteasiertoadjusttonew
conditionsofproductionandsaleandtolaydown
long-termguidelinesforminingactivitiesinLorraine
inthelightofascertainablemarkettrends;
Whereas,theaforesaidsubsidycontributestothe
avoidanceofdisturbances inlabourmarketsina
regionwhich,becauseofitseconomicstructure,is
facedwithspecialemploymentproblems;
Whereas,moreover,areductionindeliveriesofore
fromLorrainetotheSaarwouldbeharmfulto
economicrelationswhich,intheinterestnotonlyof
thetwoGovernmentsbutalsooftheCommunityasa
whole,shouldbepreserved;
Whereastheamountofthetariffaidmeetsthe
requiredobjective;
Whereastheapplicationofthesetariffreductionshas
nodisturbingeffectuponthefunctioningofthe
commonmarket;
Whereasinthesecircumstances thecontinuedapplica­
tionofthespecialtariffiscompatiblewiththeprinci­
plesoftheTreatyestablishingtheECSC;
Whereasthemeasurestaketheformofatariff
subsidy;whereasitisconsequentlynecessarytolimit
thedurationoftheirapplicationandtoprogressively
reducetheirimportanceinorderthattheydonot
become,forthosebenefittingfromthem,along­
lastingcompensation fortheirdifficultiesandthat
theyarearealincitementtotheselattertoovercome
theirdifficulties ; (')OJNo116,17.6.1967,p.2249/67.

27.6.74 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL171/3
WhereastheCommissionmustreservetherightto
reviewitsdecisionwheneverthecircumstances giving
risetoitvaryornolongerapply,
HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION :
•Article1
Authorization isherebygiven,until31December
1974,fortheapplicationtothecarriagebyrailof
LorraineironoretotheSaarofFranco-German Tariff
No3101andoftheGermantariffsubsidy(Fracht­
hilfe)grantedpursuanttotheDirectivesfromthe
Bundesminister furWirtschaft .
Article2
ThisDecisionmaybeamendedorrepealedifthe
Commissionfindsthatitisnolongerwarranted.
Article3
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheFederalRepublicof
GermanyandtotheFrenchRepublic.Whereastheaforesaidsubsidyhasalreadybeen
appliedwithoutdegressivityformorethansevenyears
andwhereasiftherequestoftheinterestedgovern­
mentsismetthiswillleadtothismeasurebeing
unchangedforatotalperiodof10years;
Whereas,inaddition,inthepreviousdecisions
concerningthespecialratesapplicabletothecarriage
ofFrenchironore,inparticulartheDecisionsof4
January1973extendingtheauthorityfortheapplica­
tionoftwospecialtariffmeasurestotherailcarriage
ofLorraineironoretoBelgiumandLuxembourg(')
andtheauthorization ofthreespecialtariffsforthe
carriageofironorefromWesternFrancetoBelgium,
LuxembourgandtheSaar(2)theCommission has
withtheagreementoftheinterestedMemberStates,
consideredallthesemeasuresasanundividedwhole
intheratestructure;
Whereas,byitsDecisionsof4January1973,the
Commission limitedtheauthorization ofthemeasures
takenbythesedecisionsuntil31December1974,
consideringitnecessarytoreviewthemwithintwo
yearsatthemost;
Whereasifthemeasuresappliedtothecarriageof
LorraineoretotheSaarwereauthorizedforalonger
periodtheresultwouldbedifferentialtreatmenton
theonehand,betweenthevariousminesevenwithin
theLorraineorefieldbecausethesameminesdonot
furnishallthethreecountriesand,ontheotherhand,
betweentheLorraineorefieldandtheminingareain
theWestofFrance;
Whereasitisthereforenecessarylikewise,torestrict
thesemeasuresto31December1974;DoneatBrussels,22May1974.
FortheCommission
ThePresident
Fran<;ois-Xavier ORTOLI
/
(')OJNoL83,30.3.1973,p.36.
(2)OJNoL83,30.3.1973,p.38.