NoL83/38 OfficialJournalofthe.EuropeanCommunities 30.3.73
COMMISSION DECISION
of4January1973
authorizingthreespecialtariffsforthecarriageofironorefromWesternFranceto
Belgium,LuxembourgandtheSaar
(OnlytheFrenchtextisauthentic)
(73/49/ECSC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingthe
EuropeanCoalandSteelCommunityandin
particularArticles2to5and70thereof;
Whereas,byaletter(ref.1329)dated5November
1970fromtheOfficeofthePermanent
Representative ofFrancetotheEuropean
Communities ,theFrenchGovernment ,pursuantto
thefourthparagraphofArticle70oftheECSC
Treaty,addressedtotheCommission ofthe
EuropeanCommunities arequestforauthorityto
applythereducedFranco-Luxembourg TariffNo
3530.05tothecarriageofironorealongtheFrench
Railways(SNCF)sectionofthejourneyfromRouge
toRodange;
Whereas,byaletter(ref.7.2.31)dated14December
1970fromtheOfficeofthePermanent
Representative ofLuxembourgtotheEuropean
Communities ,theLuxembourg Government
requestedauthoritytoapplyareducedtariffonthe
LuxembourgRailways (CFL)sectionofthesame
journey;
Whereas,byaletter(ref.OA/mj)dated29December
1971fromtheOfficeofthePermanent
Representative ofFrancetotheEuropean
Communities ,theFrenchGovernmentconfirmingits
letterof5November1970furtherrequested
authoritytoapplytothecarriageorironorefrom
WesternFrance,thatisfromtheminesofRouge,
SegreandHalouse:toBelgium,theFranco-Belgian
TariffNo3232.01;toLuxembourgandtheSaar,over
anewextendedroute,TariffNo3530.05andthe
Franco-German TariffNo3101,PartIII,Scales2(a)
and2(b)respectively ;
WhereastheFrenchandLuxembourgGovernments
basetheirrequestsonthegroundthatreducedtariffs
wouldbeofparticularbenefittotherailwaysin
helpingthemtoretainaheavytraffic-load ;whereas,
withoutthesemeasures,theironorefromthemines
ofWesternFrancewouldnotwithstandthe
competitionfromricheroretransportedbyotherroutes;whereas,therefore,itistobefearedthat,asa
resultespeciallyofgeneralrateincreasesbythe
SNCF,steelmakersinBelgium,Luxembourgandthe
Saarwouldmakemoreuseoforefromothersources;
whereasthetrendintrafficconfirmsthisdanger,the
volumeoftraffictowhichtheproposedtariff
measuresrelatehavingfallenfrom500000tons
(200000toBelgium,88000toLuxembourgand
200000totheSaar)in1970toabout330000tonsin
1971;whereasdespitethereducedtariffsitwould
stillbeprofitablefortherailwaystocarrytheorein
questionandthushelptoimprovetheirfinancial
situation;
WhereasunderthefourthparagraphofArticle70of
theECSCTreatytheapplicationofspecialtariffsin
theinterestofcoal-orsteel-producing undertakings
requirestheprioragreementoftheCommission ;
whereasthisprovisionrefersnotonlytospecial
tariffsadoptedintheinterestoftheseundertakings
buttoallspecialtariffs,whateverthereasonfor
adoptingthem,whichbenefitoneormoreofthese
undertakings ;whereastheagreementofthe
Commissionwillbegrantedsolongasthespecial
tariffsaccordwiththeprinciplesoftheTreaty,and
whereasitwill,asageneralrule,bepresumedthat
theydosoaccordwheneverthespecialtariffis
warrantedbytheparticularcircumstances ofthe
transportmarket;whereas,however,upon
consideringtheapplicationofatariffmeasure,a
carrier'sinterestinretainingaspecifictrafficload
oughtnolongertobetakenintoaccountwhenever
suchmeasurewouldbeprejudicialtotheproper
functioningofthecommonmarketincoalandsteel
inaccordancewiththeprovisionsoftheECSC
Treaty;
Whereasthetariffmeasuresunderconsideration fall
withinthefourthparagraphofArticle70ofthe
ECSCTreatybyreasonoftheirlimitedapplication
andbecausetheybenefittheminesofHalouse,Segre
andRouge;
Whereas,asregardstheinterestoftherailways,there
existsinthiscasearealriskoflossoftrafficalready
threatenedbythefactthatthesteelundertakingscan
obtaintheiroresuppliesbyotherroutesandfrom
othersources;whereasthekeennessofthe

30.3.73 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL83/39
risetoitvaryornolongerapply;whereasitfeelsthat
thesemeasuresandtheauthoritytoapplythem
shouldbereviewedwithintwoyearsatmost,evenif
nosuchchangehastakenplace;whereastheyshould
thereforebeauthorizedforalimitedperiodonly;
HASDECIDED ASFOLLOWS :competitionisapparentfromtheconsiderabledrop
insalesoforefromWesternFrancedespitethetariff
reductionsalreadyallowed;whereas,however,the
threatenedtrafficisstillofconsequenceandis
profitabletotherailways,whichcarryitunder
favourableconditionsbywholetrains,andtosome
extentaccordingtoprearrangedschedules;
Whereastheindisputableinterestwhichthetariff
measuresholdfortherailwaysisinnowayprejudicial
totheproperfunctioningofthecommonmarketin
coalandsteelinaccordancewiththeECSCTreaty;
Whereasthecompetitivepositionofiron-ore
producersoftheCommunityisinnowayaffectedby
thetariffmeasures;whereasotherironoreproduced
intheCommunitycannotbesubstitutedfortheore
fromWesternFrance,whichconsistofdifferent
chemicalsubstancesandaremixedwithotherore,
particularlyLorraineore;
Whereasthecompetitivepositionwithinthecommon
marketofsteelundertakings inBelgium,
LuxembourgandtheSaarisnotaffectedbythe
applicationofspecialtariffs,inasmuchasthese
undertakingscanobtainorebyotherroutesonno
lessfavourableterms;
Whereasthetariffmeasureshave,besides,theeffect
ofensuringcontinuedemploymentinthemining
areasofNormandyandinthedepartmentsof
Loire-Atlantique andMaine-et-Loire ,thuskeeping
socialdisturbancesatbayinregionsclassified,by
reasonoftheireconomicstructuralproblems,as
Frenchdevelopmentareas;
Whereasinthecircumstances thetariffmeasuresare
inaccordancewiththeprinciplesoftheTreaty;
WhereastheCommissionmustreservetherightto
reviewitsdecisionwheneverthecircumstances givingArticle1
Authorityisgivenuntil31December1974forthe
applicationoftheFranco-Belgian TariffNo3232.01,
theFranco-Luxembourg TariffNo3530.05andthe
Franco-German TariffNo3101,PartIII,Scales2(a)
and2(b),tothecarriageofironorefromWestern
FrancetoBelgium,LuxembourgandtheSaar.
Article2
ThisDecisionmaybeamendedorrepealedifthe
Commissionconsidersthatitisnolongerwarranted.
Article3
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheFrenchRepublic
and,asregardsitsapplicationtothe
Franco-Luxembourg TariffNo3530.05,totheGrand
DuchyofLuxembourg .
DoneatBrussels,4January1973.
FortheCommission
ThePresident
S.L.MANSHOLT