NoL83/36 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.3.73
COMMISSION DECISION
of4January1973
extendingtheauthorityfortheapplicationoftwospecialtariffmeasurestotherail
carriageofLorraineironoretoBelgiumandLuxembourg
(OnlytheFrenchtextisauthentic)
(73/48/ECSC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingthe
EuropeanCoalandSteelCommunityandin
particularArticles2to5and70thereof;
HavingregardtotheDecisionoftheCommissionof
theEuropeanCommunitiesNo68/349/ECSCof31
July1968authorizingaspecialtarifffortherail
carriageofLorraineironoretoBelgium(OJNo
L230,19.9.1968,p.8);
HavingregardtotheDecisionoftheCommissionof
theEuropeanCommunitiesNo69/268/ECSCof23
July1969authorizingaspecialtarifffortherail
carriageofLorraineironoretoLuxembourg (OJNo
L220,1.9.1969,p.5);
Whereas,byaletter(ref.1757)dated31December
1971fromtheOfficeofthePermanent
Representative ofFrancetotheEuropean
Communities ,theFrenchGovernmentrequestedthat
theauthoritygivenbytheCommissionDecisions
citedaboveinrespectoftheFranco-Belgian Tariff
No3232,PartIIIandoftheFranco-Luxembourg
TariffNo3530,PartIIIA,beextended;andwhereas,
byaletter(ref.17.2.31)dated30November1971,
theLuxembourgGovernmentmadeasimilarrequest
inrespectofTariffNo3530,PartIIIA;
WhereastheCommission oftheEuropean
Communities bytheabove-citedDecisions,taken
pursuanttothefourthparagraphofArticle70ofthe
ECSCTreaty,authorizedthetwospecialtariff
measuresunderreferencefortherailcarriageof
LorraineironoretoBelgiumandLuxembourg ,after
havingascertainedthattheywereconsistentwiththe
Treaty;whereasitsconclusionwasbasedonthe
particularbenefitwhichtherailwaysconcernedcould
derivefromareducedtariffandonthetriflingeffect
whichthetariffmighthaveonnormalconditionsof
competitionintherelevantcoalandsteelmarkets;
whereasthesocialpolicyobjectivesoftheECSCTreatywerealsobeingmetinthatthetariffmeasures
wouldbringaboutanimprovementinthelivingand
workingconditionsofmineworkersinLorraine;
Whereasthesetwomeasureshavehelpedtohaltthe
dropinexportsofLorraineironoretoBelgiumand
Luxembourgandtostabilizetherailtrafficatthe
levelitwaswhenthespecialtariffmeasureswere
applied;
WhereastheFrenchandLuxembourg Governments
supporttheirrequestforextendingtheauthority
coveringthetwotariffsbystressingtheimportance
whichreducedtariffs,despitetheiradjustmentasa
resultofageneraltariffincreasewhichtookplacein
themeantime,stillhaveforboththeSNCFandthe
CFL;
WhereasLorraineironorefacescontinuous
competitionfromoresofbetterqualityandat
lowerpricewhichcouldbeconsignedtousersin
BelgiumandLuxembourgbyotherroutesandother
meansoftransport;
Whereasthecompetitionhasrecentlybecomemore
acute;whereas,therefore,itwillbemoreandmore
difficulttosellLorraineorewithintheCommunity
unlesstheburdenoftransportcostsisalleviated;
Whereasthecircumstances whichpromptedthe
Commissiontograntauthorityarestillpresent,and
whereastheeffectsofthetariffmeasuresarenot
contrarytotheprinciplesoftheTreaty;whereas,in
particular,theapplicationofthetariffsisbeneficial
tothecarrieranddoesnotaffectthefunctioningof
thecommonmarket;
WhereastheCommissionmustreservetherightto
reviewitsdecisionwheneverthecircumstances giving
risetoitvaryornolongerapply;whereasitfeelsthat
thesemeasuresandtheauthoritytoapplythem
shouldbereviewedwithintwoyearsatmostevenif
nosuchchangehastakenplace;whereastheyshould
thereforebeauthorizedforalimitedperiodonly;

30.3.73 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL83/37
HASADOPTED THISDECISION :
Article1
Theauthoritygivenfortheapplicationtotherail
carriageofLorraineironoretoBelgiumandto
Luxembourgofspecialtariffmeasures,namelythe
Franco-Belgian TariffNo3232,PartIII,andthe
Franco-Luxembourg TariffNo3530,PartIIIA,shall
continuetobeeffectiveuntil31December1974.Article3
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheFrenchRepublic
and,asregardsitsapplication tothe
Franco-Luxembourg TariffNo3530,PartIIIA,to
theGrandDuchyofLuxembourg .
DoneatBrussels,4January1973.
Article2FortheCommission
ThePresident
S.L.MANSHOLTThisDecisionmaybeamendedorrepealedifthe
Commissionconsidersthatitisnolongerwarranted.