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( 1 ) OJ NO L 16 , 22 . 1 . 1980 , P . 14 .

( 2 ) OJ NO L 365 , 27 . 12 . 1978 , P . 1 .

COMMISSION DECISION

OF 27 MARCH 1981

AUTHORIZING THE FRENCH REPUBLIC NOT TO APPLY COMMUNITY TREATMENT TO WOMEN ' S , GIRLS ' AND INFANTS ' WOVEN OVERCOATS , RAINCOATS AND OTHER COATS , CLOAKS AND CAPES ; JACKETS AND BLAZERS ORIGINATING IN HONG KONG

( ONLY THE FRENCH TEXT IS AUTHENTIC )

( 81/381/EEC )

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN

COMMUNITIES ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY , AND IN PARTICULAR THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 115 THEREOF ,

HAVING REGARD TO COMMISSION DECISION 80/47/EEC OF 20 DECEMBER 1979 ON SURVEILLANCE AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES WHICH MEMBER STATES MAY BE AUTHORIZED TO TAKE IN RESPECT OF IMPORTS OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS ORIGINATING IN THIRD COUNTRIES AND PUT INTO FREE CIRCULATION IN ANOTHER MEMBER STATE ( 1 ), AND IN PARTICULAR ARTICLE 3 THEREOF ,

WHEREAS , ON 23 MARCH 1981 , A REQUEST WAS MADE UNDER THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 115 OF THE TREATY BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT TO THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES FOR AUTHORIZATION NOT TO APPLY COMMUNITY TREATMENT TO WOMEN ' S , GIRLS ' AND INFANTS ' WOVEN OVERCOATS , RAINCOATS AND OTHER COATS , CLOAKS AND CAPES ; JACKETS AND BLAZERS , FALLING WITHIN SUBHEADING EX 61.02 B II OF THE COMMON CUSTOMS TARIFF ( CATEGORY 15 B ), ORIGINATING IN HONG KONG AND IN FREE CIRCULATION IN THE OTHER MEMBER STATES ;

WHEREAS THE IMPORTATION INTO THE COMMUNITY OF THE PRODUCTS IN QUESTION ORIGINATING IN HONG KONG IS COVERED BY AN AGREEMENT NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT COUNTRY ;

WHEREAS UNDER THAT AGREEMENT HONG KONG HAS UNDERTAKEN TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY STEPS TO LIMIT ITS EXPORTS OF THE PRODUCTS IN QUESTION TO THE COMMUNITY WITHIN CERTAIN CEILINGS ;

WHEREAS IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THAT AGREEMENT AND TAKE ACCOUNT OF ITS CHARACTERISTICS , THE COUNCIL ADOPTED REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 3059/78 ( 2 ) INTRODUCING SPECIFIC COMMON RULES FOR IMPORTS OF CERTAIN TEXTILE PRODUCTS ;

WHEREAS THE DIFFERENCES IN MARKET CONDITIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND THE PARTICULAR SENSITIVITY OF THIS BRANCH OF COMMUNITY INDUSTRY HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN ALLOCATING THE ABOVEMENTIONED COMMUNITY CEILING BETWEEN THE MEMBER STATES ;

WHEREAS FOR THIS REASON DISPARITIES STILL EXIST BETWEEN THE CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE IMPORTATION OF THE PRODUCTS IN QUESTION INTO THE DIFFERENT MEMBER STATES ;

WHEREAS UNIFORMITY CAN ONLY BE BROUGHT ABOUT GRADUALLY ;

WHEREAS THESE DISPARITIES IN THE COMMERCIAL POLICY MEASURES APPLIED BY THE MEMBER STATES HAVE RESULTED IN DEFLECTIONS OF TRADE , IN THAT SINCE 1 JANUARY 1981 FRANCE HAS ADMITTED THE PRODUCTS IN QUESTION IN FREE CIRCULATION , ORIGINATING IN THE SAID THIRD COUNTRY , WHICH AMOUNT APPROXIMATELY TO 19 % OF THE DIRECT QUOTA ;

WHEREAS , WITH REGARD TO THE SITUATION OF THE INDUSTRY CONCERNED , THE INFORMATION RECEIVED BY THE COMMISSION INDICATES THAT TOTAL IMPORTS OF THE PRODUCTS IN QUESTION ORIGINATING IN THIRD COUNTRIES AMOUNTED TO 901 000 PIECES IN 1978 , 1 085 000 PIECES IN 1979 AND 900 000 PIECES IN 1980 ;

WHEREAS THE PRICES OF THE PRODUCTS IN QUESTION ORIGINATING IN HONG KONG ARE CONSIDERABLY BELOW THE PRICES OF LIKE PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED IN FRANCE ;

WHEREAS OUTPUT OF LIKE PRODUCTS IN FRANCE HAS FALLEN FROM 9 091 000 PIECES IN 1978 TO 9 045 000 PIECES IN 1979 AND TO 9 000 000 PIECES IN 1980 ;

WHEREAS THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY ' S SHARE OF THE HOME MARKET HAS FALLEN FROM 77 % IN 1978 TO 74 % IN 1979 ;

WHEREAS FURTHER INDIRECT IMPORTS , IN ADDITION TO THOSE ALREADY ADMITTED OR PLANNED , WOULD BE LIKELY TO AGGRAVATE THESE DIFFICULTIES AND JEOPARDIZE THE AIMS OF THE ABOVEMENTIONED COMMERCIAL POLICY MEASURES ;

WHEREAS IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SET IN MOTION RAPIDLY THE MACHINERY FOR BRINGING ABOUT THE NECESSARY COOPERATION FROM THE OTHER MEMBER STATES ;

WHEREAS AUTHORIZATION SHOULD ACCORDINGLY BE GIVEN FOR THE APPLICATION OF PROTECTIVE MEASURES UNDER THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 115 , SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS LAID DOWN IN DECISION 80/47/EEC , AND IN PARTICULAR ARTICLE 3 THEREOF ;

WHEREAS APPLICATIONS FOR IMPORT DOCUMENTS COVERING 6 146 PIECES ARE DULY PENDING WITH THE AUTHORITIES OF THE MEMBER STATES HAVING MADE THE REQUEST ; WHEREAS , IN VIEW OF THE AMOUNT INVOLVED , THESE APPLICATIONS DO NOT NEED TO BE COVERED BY SUCH AUTHORIZATION ,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION :

ARTICLE 1

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC IS AUTHORIZED NOT TO APPLY COMMUNITY TREATMENT TO THE PRODUCTS INDICATED BELOW , ORIGINATING IN HONG KONG AND IN FREE CIRCULATION IN THE OTHER MEMBER STATES , IN RESPECT OF WHICH APPLICATIONS FOR IMPORT LICENCES WERE LODGED AFTER 16 MARCH 1981 : // //

CCT

HEADING

NO // DESCRIPTION //

//

EX 61.02 B II ( NIMEXE CODES 61.02-31 , 32 , 33 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 39 , 40 ) ( CATEGORY 15 B ) // WOMEN ' S , GIRLS ' AND INFANTS ' WOVEN OVERCOATS , RAINCOATS AND OTHER COATS , CLOAKS AND CAPES ; JACKETS AND BLAZERS , OTHER THAN GARMENTS OF CATEGORY 15 A , OF WOOL , OF COTTON OR OF MAN-MADE TEXTILE FIBRES //

ARTICLE 2

THIS DECISION SHALL APPLY UNTIL 31 JULY 1981 .

ARTICLE 3

THIS DECISION IS ADDRESSED TO THE FRENCH REPUBLIC .

DONE AT BRUSSELS , 27 MARCH 1981 .

FOR THE COMMISSION

WILHELM HAFERKAMP

VICE-PRESIDENT