EN Official Journal of the European Union L 384/22

COUNCIL DECISION

of 19 November 2004

concerning the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Government of Ukraine on trade in certain steel products

(2004/895/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 Ukraine (1), entered into force on 1 March 1998.

(2) Article 22(1) of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement provides that trade in certain steel products shall be governed by Title III, save for Article 14 thereof, and by the provisions of an Agreement.

(3) For the years 1995-2001, trade in certain steel products was the subject of agreements between the Parties, and in 2002, 2003 and 2004 of specific arrangements. It is therefore appropriate to replace these as far as 2004 is concerned with a further agreement which takes account of 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 Government of Ukraine 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 Brussels, 19 November 2004. For the Council President J. P. H. DONNER

(1) OJ L 49, 19.2.1998, p. 3.

EN Official Journal of the European Union L 384/23

AGREEMENT

between the European Community and the Government of Ukraine on trade in certain steel products

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Community’,

of the one part, and

THE GOVERNMENT OF UKRAINE,

of the other part,

together referred to as ‘the Parties’,

WHEREAS the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, and Ukraine, entered into force on 1 March 1998;

DESIROUS to promote the orderly and equitable development of trade in steel between the Community and Ukraine;

WHEREAS Article 22(1) of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement provides that trade in certain steel products shall be governed by Title III, save for Article 14 thereof, and by the provisions of an Agreement;

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

WHEREAS for the years 1995-2001 trade in certain steel products was the subject of agreements between the Parties, and in 2002, 2003 and 2004 of specific arrangements. It is therefore appropriate to replace these as far as 2004 is concerned with a further agreement which takes account of developments in the relationship between the Parties;

WHEREAS the Parties reiterate their commitment to achieve as soon as the conditions are fulfilled complete liberalisation of trade in respect of the steel products covered by this Agreement;

WHEREAS this Agreement should be accompanied by cooperation between the Parties in respect of their steel industries, including appropriate exchanges of information, within a contact group on coal and steel as foreseen in Article 22.2 to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

1. This agreement applies to trade in the steel products set out in Annex I to this Agreement originating within the Parties.

2. Trade in steel products not set out in Annex I shall not be subject to quantitative limits and shall be governed by the relevant provisions of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, in particular those relating to anti-dumping procedures and safeguard measures.

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

Article 2

1. The Parties agree to establish and maintain for the period of validity of the present Agreement quantitative arrangements fixing the limits set out in Annex II of this Agreement on Ukrainian 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 of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as ‘Protocol A’).

2. The Parties reiterate their commitment to achieve complete liberalisation of trade in respect of the steel products set out in Annex I as soon as the conditions have been established.

3. For the product groups included in Annex I, quantities covered by imports authorisations issued by the Community, on the basis of the Council Decision 2003/893/EC of 15 December 2003, as from 1 January 2004 until the entry into force of this Agreement, will be deducted from the quantitative limits set out in Annex II.

4. Imports of quantities in excess of those mentioned in Annex II shall be authorised where the Community industry is unable to meet the internal demand and 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. Following the conclusions of the consultations and on the basis of objective evidence, the Community shall instigate its internal procedures to increase the quantities set out in Annex II.

5. Each 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 covered by Annex I have substantially deteriorated or improved;

— the possibility of transferring unused amounts set out in Annex II from under-utilised product groups to other groups.

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 production of an export licence issued by the authorities of Ukraine and to proof of origin in accordance with the provisions of Protocol A.

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.

Article 4

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

— the Community authorities shall inform the Ukrainian authorities by the 28th of each month of the import authorizations issued during the preceding month;

— the Ukrainian 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 Parties 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 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, the Government of Ukraine 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, where there is sufficient evidence that products set out in Annex I originating in Ukraine have been imported in circumvention of this Agreement, to set off the relevant quantities against the quantitative limits established under 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 established under this Agreement on imports of steel products set out in Annex I 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 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. Ukraine 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, and without prejudice to the consultations foreseen by Article 2(7), where licences issued by the Ukrainian authorities have reached 90 % of the quantitative limits, either Party may request consultations. Such consultations shall be held immediately. Pending the outcome of such consultations the Ukrainian 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 Ukraine under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause substantial injury to Community producers of like products, the Community shall supply Ukraine 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 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 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Agreement, the provisions of Article 19 of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement 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 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 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 the Government of Ukraine 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.

Article 8

1. Without prejudice to the periodic exchange of information on export licences and import authorizations 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 authorizations 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 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 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 receipt 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 date of its signature. It shall be applicable until 31 December 2004 subject to any modifications agreed by the Parties and unless it is denounced in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3 of this Article.

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 by common agreement.

4. Annexes I and II, declarations 1, 2, 3 and 4, the agreed minute and Protocol A attached to this Agreement shall form an integral part thereof.

Article 11

This Agreement shall be drawn up in duplicate in the Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Ukrainian languages, each text being equally authentic.

Hecho en Bruselas, el V Bruselu dne Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den Geschehen zu Brüssel am Brüsselis 'Eγινε στην Βρυξέλλες, στις Done at Brussels, Fait à Bruxelles, le Fatto a Bruxelles, addì Briselē, Priimta Briuselyje Kelt Brüsszelben, Magħmul fi Brussel, Gedaan te Brussel, Sporządzono w Brukseli, dnia Feito em Bruxelas, V Bruseli V Bruslju, Tehty Brysselissä Udfärdat i Bryssel den Вчинено в м. Por la Comunidad Europea Za Evropské společenství For Det Europæiske Fællesskab Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft Euroopa Ühenduse nimel Για την Eυρωπαϊκή Koινóτητα For the European Community Pour la Communauté européenne Per la Comunità europea Eiropas Kopienas vārdā Europos bendrijos vardu Az Európai Közösség részéről Għall-Komunità Ewropea Voor de Europese Gemeenschap W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej Pela Comunidade Europeia Za Európske spoločenstvo Za Evropsko skupnost Euroopan yhteisön puolesta För Europeiska gemenskapen За Eвропейське Спiвтовариство За Кабiнет Мiнiстрiв Украïни

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

7225200010

7225301000

7225309000

SA2. (heavy plate)

7208400010

7208512010

7208512091

7208512093

7208512097

7208512098

7208519110

7208519190

7208519810

7208519891

7208519899

7208522010

7208522090

7208528010

7208528090

7208530010

7211130000

7225401210

7225401220

7225404010

7225404090

7225406000

7225990010

SA3. (other flat rolled products)

7208400090

7208530090

7208540010

7208540090

7208900010

7209150000

7209161000

7209169000

7209171000

7209179000

7209181000

7209189100

7209189900

7209250000

7209261000

7209269000

7209271000

7209279000

7209281000

7209289000

7209900010

7210110010

7210122010

7210128010

7210200010

7210300010

7210410010

7210490010

7210500010

7210610010

7210690010

7210701010

7210708010

7210903010

7210904010

7210908091

7211140090

7211190090

7211232010

7211233010

7211233091

7211238010

7211238091

7211290010

7211900011

7212101000

7212109011

7212200011

7212300011

7212402010

7212402091

7212408011

7212502011

7212503011

7212504011

7212506111

7212506911

7212509015

7212509017

7212600011

7212600091

7219211000

7219219000

7219221000

7219229000

7219230000

7219240000

7219310010

7219310090

7219321000

7219329010

7219329090

7219331000

7219339010

7219339090

7219341000

7219349010

7219349090

7219351000

7219359010

7219359090

7225401290

7225409000

SB Longs

SB1. (beams)

7207198010

7207208010

7216311010

7216311090

7216319010

7216319090

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

7207205210

7207205291

7207205299

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

7224900295

7224903100

7224903800

7228102010

7228102090

7228201010

7228201091

7228209110

7228209190

7228302000

7228304100

7228304900

7228306100

7228306900

7228307000

7228308900

7228602010

7228608010

7228701000

7228709010

7228800010

7228800090

7301100000

ANNEX II

QUANTITATIVE LIMITS

(tonnes) Products 2004 SA. Flat products SA1. Coils 80 007 SA2. Heavy plate 230 879 SA3. Other flat products 66 608 SB. Long products SB1. Beams 13 481 SB2. Wire rod 93 679 SB3. Other long products 122 170

Note: SA and SB are the ‘categories’.

SA1, SA2, SA3, SB1, SB2 and SB3 are the ‘product groups’.

AGREED MINUTE

In the context of the Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine on trade in certain steel products signed in Brussels on 22 November 2004, 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), the Government of Ukraine 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

— the Government of Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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 day's 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 Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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 Ukrainian origin conforming to the model annexed to this Protocol.

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

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 Ukrainian organisations authorised for such purposes under Ukrainian 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

1. The appropriate Ukrainian governmental authorities shall issue an export licence in respect of all consignments from Ukraine 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. For the product groups included in Annex I of this Agreement, quantities covered by import authorisations issued by the Community, on the basis of the Council Decision 2003/893/EC of 15 December 2003, as from 1 January 2004 until the entry into force of this Agreement, will be deducted from the quantitative limits set out in Annex II.

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 10(2), within ten working days of the presentation by the importer of the original of the corresponding export licence.

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 Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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 x 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: UA = Ukraine;

— two letters identifying the intended Member State of customs clearance as follows: BE = Belgium 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 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. ‘3’ for 2003;

— 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 Ukrainian governmental authorities competent to issue licences or to the Ukrainian organisations authorised to issue certificates of origin under Ukrainian 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

Ukraine shall send the Commission of the European Communities the names and addresses of the competent Ukrainian 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. Ukraine 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 Ukrainian 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 Ukrainian 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 Ukraine 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 Ukrainian 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. Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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 Ukraine and the Community may agree to take any measures as are necessary to prevent a recurrence of such circumvention or infringement.