12.7.74 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL189/25
COMMISSION DECISION
of25June1974
amendingCommissionDecisionNo74/134/ECSCof18February1974onthe
applicationtotheUnitedKingdomofArticle37oftheECSCTreaty
(74/345/ECSC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuro­
peanCoalandSteelCommunity,andinparticular
Article37thereof;
HavingregardtoCommissionDecisionNo74/134/
ECSC(*)of18February1974,andinparticular
Article5thereof;
Havingregardtotheapplicationof18June1974
bytheUnitedKingdom;
HavingconsultedtheCounciloftheEuropean
Communities ;
Whereasasaresultoftheeventswhichtookplacein
theUnitedKingdomattheendof1973andthebe­
ginningof1974,whichledtheCommissiontotake
DecisionNo74/134/ECSCof18February1974,
Britishcoalproductionremainsconsiderablybelow
normallevels;
Whereas18900000metrictonswereproducedduring
thenineweeksendingon11May1974(themost
recentfiguresavailable)ascomparedwith23100000
metrictonsforthesameperiodin1973;whereas
thenormalrateofproductionisnotlikelytobe
reachedbytheendofthesummerof1974,taking
intoconsiderationtheholidayperiod;
Whereasthelevelofstocksremainsconsiderably
belowthelevelrecordedbeforetheseevents;whereas,
inparticular,thestocksatthepowerstationswere
particularlylowandduringMay1974,atabout
10000000metrictonscomparedwith17000000
metrictonsforMay1973;whereastheamountof
thesestockswasonly500000metrictonshigher
thanattheendoftheminers'strike;
Whereasitisnotpossibleatshortnoticetofind
othersourcesofsupplyforthepowerstations;Whereas,moreover,thepresentstocksatthepower
stationsareunequallydistributedbetweenthe
variousregionsoftheUnitedKingdomandbetween
thevariousgeneratingplantswithintheseregions;
Whereas,wheneverthetotalstockfallsbelow
7000000metrictons,thetwo'Electricity
GeneratingBoards'willnolongerbeableto
satisfyalldemands,becauseatsuchtimecertain
generatingplantswouldhavenomoreusablecoal;
Whereastheredistribution ofexistingstocks,with
aviewtoavoidingsuchasituation,wouldbe
technicallydifficultandeconomically fartoo
expensive;
WhereastheBritishGovernment hascalculatedthat
therewillnotbemorethan13000000metrictons
availableforthegeneratingplantsatthebeginning
ofnextwinter,whichwillbeconsiderablybelow
thedesirableminimumlevelofstocksof16000000
and17000000metrictons;whereasthecalculated
stocksagainrepresentnomorethanthreeweeksof
wintertimeelectricityproduction;
Whereas,asfarasironandsteelproductsare
concerned,accordingtothelatestinformationgiven
totheCommission ,1890000metrictonsofcrude
steelwereproducedinMay1974,representing83%
ofthemonthlyproductionreachedbeforethe
crisis;whereasduringthefirstfivemonthsof1974
theproductionofcrudesteelisonemonthbehind
thenormalproduction;whereasthedamagetothe
refractoryliningsofthoseblastfurnaceswhichwere
shutdownduringthecoalminers'strikeisthe
mainobstacletoatotalresumptionofironand
steelproduction;whereasitisnotpossibleatshort
noticetofindothersourcesofsupplyofsuch
products;
Whereasthesedifficultiesarelikelytopersistduring
thesummermonths;
Whereasinsuchconditionstheeconomicsituation
intheUnitedKingdomwouldbeaggravatedby
deliveriesofcoalandsteelproductstootherMember
Statesinaccordancewiththesystemoffree
circulationofgoodssuchasisprovidedforbythe OOJNoL74,19.3.1974,p.20.

NoL189/26 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 12.7.74
thosecoveredbyheadingNo73.03oftheCommon
CustomsTariff):
1.Article2ofDecisionNo74/134/ECSCofthe
18February1974isdeletedandthefollowing
inserted:
'1.TheUnitedKingdomshallsetupan
"OpenGeneralExportLicence"system,
coveringironandsteelproducts,asdefinedin
Article81oftheESCSTreaty(exceptthose
coveredbyheadingNo73.03oftheCommon
CustomsTariff).
2.Aftertheentryintooperationofthis
Decision,theUnitedKingdommayafter
consultationwiththeCommission,applya
licencingsystemwithaviewto:
—limitingexportsoftheseproductstothird
countries;
—controllingand,insofarasitisnecessary
todoso,limitingdeliveriesofsuchproducts
tootherMemberStates;suchsystemmay
howeverundernocircumstances bemore
restrictingasfaraseachproductisconcerned
thanthatappliedtoexportstothird
countries.
3.TheBritishGovernment shallensurethatthe
applicationofthemeasuresauthorizedwillentail
nogreaterrestrictiononthefreemovementof
goodsthanisstrictlynecessarytoattainthe
objectofthemeasures,andwillinparticular
furtherasignificantincreaseofexportstoother
MemberStates.'
2.Article6ofDecisionNo74/134/ECSCof
18February1974isdeletedandthefollowing
issubstituted :
'WithoutprejudicetoArticle5thisDecision
shallremaininoperationuntil1October1974.'
Article3
ThisDecisionshallcomeintooperationon
1July1974.
Article4
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheMemberStates.ECSCTreatyandtheActannexedtotheTreaty
ofAccession;
Whereas,asfarascoalasdefinedinheading
No27.01oftheCommonCustomsTariffis
concerned,thespecialandexceptionalsituation
whichledtotheDecisionof18February1974has
notyetbeenovercome;whereassuchasituation
islikelytodeteriorateagainifthemeasurestaken
bytheCommissiontobringittoanendwerenot
renewed;inparticularwithaviewtofurthering
asignificantincreaseofexportstootherMember
States;
Whereas,however,itnowappears,asfarasiron
andsteelproductsareconcerned,thatitispossible
todiminishtheconsequences ofthesituationby
measureslessdisturbingtheoperationofthe
commonmarketthanbythemeasurestakenbythe
CommissionintheDecisionof18February1974;
Whereas,theCommissionthereforeconsidersthat
theDecisionof18February1974shouldbe
amended;
Whereas,ontheotherhand,suchmeasuresare
neededtoenablethissectoroftheCommunityto
recoverfromtheseriousandexceptionaldifficulties
mentioned;
Whereasinordertosafeguardthevitalinterests
oftheCommunityandinparticularthefree
movementofgoods,measurestakenunderArticle37
mustbestrictlyexceptional ;whereasthesemeasures
mustbetemporaryandthereforethepresent
Decisionmustceasetobeoperational by
1October1974atthelatest,
HASADOPTED THISDECISION :
Article1
Initsapplicationtocoal,asdefinedinheading
No27.01oftheCommonCustomsTariff,
Commission DecisionNo74/134/ECSCof
18February1974shallremaininoperationuntil
1October1974.
TheBritishGovernment shallensurethatthe
applicationofthemeasuresauthorizedwillentail
nogreaterrestrictiononthefreemovementofgoods
thanisstrictlynecessarytoattaintheobjectof
thesemeasures,andwillinparticularfurther
asignificantincreaseofexportstootherMember
States.
Article2
Intheirapplicationtoironandsteelproducts,as
definedbyArticle81oftheECSCTreaty(excludingDoneatBrussels,25June1974.
FortheCommission
ThePresident
Francois-Xavier ORTOLI