5.5.77 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL114/1
I
(Actswhosepublicationisobligatory)
COMMISSION DECISIONNo962/77/ECSC
of4May1977
fixingminimumpricesforcertainconcretereinforcement bars
Whereasforthesereasonsattainmentoftheobjectives
setoutinArticle3oftheTreatyisjeopardizedinthe
concretereinforcement barssector;
Whereastheintroductionofminimumpriceswould
belikelytoremedythesituationonthisparticular
market;whereastheCommissionthereforeconsiders
thattheconditionsfortheapplicationofArticle61to
theconcretereinforcement barmarketarefulfilled;
Whereastheminimumpricesshouldbebasisprices
exbasingpointsoastoretainsomeflexibilityinthe
market;THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
CoalandSteelCommunity ,andinparticularArticle
61thereof,
HavingregardtoHighAuthorityDecisionsNo30-53
andNo31-53(*),aslastamendedbyCommission
Decisions72/440/ECSCand72/441/ECSCof22
December 1972(2),
HavingregardtoCommissionDecisionsNo3073/73/
ECSC(3)andNo911/75/ECSC(4),
Whereasthesteelindustryhasbeeninseriousdiffi­
cultiesforsomeyears;whereassupplyhasforsome
timebeeninconsiderableexcessofdemand;whereas
theshareofthemarkettakenbyimportshas
increasedsharplyoverthisperiod;whereasprices
havebeencuttowellbelowproductioncosts;
WhereastheCommission hasintroducedaschemeto
bringthesupplyofironandsteelproductsmoreinto
linewithdemand;whereasthisschemereliesinter
aliauponthecommitments byCommunitysteel
undertakings toadheretothedeliverylimitssetby
theCommission ;
Whereas,incontrasttothepositionforotherrolled
products,onlyanunsatisfactorily smallproportionof
theconcretereinforcement rodsproducedhavebeen
coveredbytheproducers'voluntarycommitments
concerningdeliverylimits;whereasthishasledto
stillfurtherdeterioration ofthemarketforconcrete
reinforcement bars;whereasthepricelevelfor
concretereinforcement barsisbelowthatgenerally
attainedforotherrolledproducts;whereastheaverage
rateofutilizationofproductioncapacityislowerthan
forothertypesofproducts;whereasthefinancial
situationoftheundertakingscontinues,therefore,to
deteriorate ;WhereastheCommissionshouldbeempoweredto
adjusttheminimumpricesinaccordancewithfluctua­
tionsinexchangerates;
Whereasthemeasurestobetakenshouldbeappli­
cabletoCommunityundertakings inthesteel
industryasdefinedinArticle80oftheTreatyandto
theirsellingagenciesandmiddlemenasreferredtoin
DecisionsNo30-53andNo31-53;
Whereastheminimumpriceshavetobeapplicable
withinthecommonmarket;whereas,pursuantto
DecisionsNo3073/73/ECSCandNo911/75/ECSC,
minimumpricespublishedinthepricelistsof
Communityproducersarealsoapplicabletotransac­
tionsinthoseEFTAcountrieswithwhichthe
Communityhasconcludedfreetradeagreementsfor
ECSCproducts;
Whereas,ifminimumpricesaretohavetherequired
effect,itisnecessarytoprohibittheintroductionof
new,orincreaseofexisting,rebates,thecancellation
orreductionofextrasandsurchargesofanykind,and
changestotheexistingtermsof,ortimesallowedfor;
payment;whereasundertakingsshouldbeleftfreeto
publishbasispricesabovetheminimumpricesset;(')OJNoC29,12.5.1973fortheupdatedversion.
(2)OJNoL297,30.12.1972,pp.39and42.
(J)OJNoL314,1.5.11.1973,p.1.
(«)OJNoL88,9.4.1975,p.7.

NoL114/2 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities5.5.77
3.Inordertomaintainauniformminimumprice
levelwithinthecommonmarket,theCommission
mayadjustthesepricesinaccordancewithfluctua­
tionsinexchangerates.
Article2
1.TheminimumpricesinArticle1shallbebasis
pricesexbasingpoint.
2.Theyshallbecompulsoryfortransactions
effectedonorafterthethirddayfollowingtheentry
intoforceofthisDecisionandasfromthattimethey
shallreplacelowerlistpricesuntilsuchpriceshave
beenchangedbyundertakingsinaccordancewith
Article3.Whereastheeffectsoftheproposedmeasureswould
bejeopardizedifundertakingsweretoaligntheir
priceswithinthecommonmarketonloweroffers
fromthirdcountries;whereasalignmentonsuch
offersshouldbeauthorizedonlyinsofarasthedeliv­
eredpricedoesnotundercutthepricebasedonthe
pricelistofaCommunityundertaking ;
Whereastheminimumpricesshouldcomeintoforce
asrapidlyaspossibleinthewholeCommunity ;
whereasmoretimecanbeallowedforthecorres­
pondingchangesinpublishedpricelists;
Whereastheintroductionofminimumpricesshould
belimitedintime;whereasduringtheperiodthat
thismeasureisinforcetheCommission shouldbe
empoweredtoaltertheminimumpricesshould
circumstances sorequire;
Havingregardtostudiescarriedoutinconjunction
withtheundertakingsandassociationofundertakings ,
andafterconsultingtheConsultativeCommitteeand
theCouncilbothontheadvisabilityofintroducing
minimumpricesforconcretereinforcement barsand
ontheleveloftheseprices,Article3
Undertakings whosepublishedpricesarelowerthan
theminimumpricesshallpublishnewpricesin
conformitywiththisDecisionwithin15days
followingitsentryintoforce.
HASADOPTED THISDECISION :Article4
1.Rebatesanddiscountsofanysort,whether
publishedinpricelistsandconditionsofsaleornoti­
fiedtotheCommissionatthedateofentryintoforce
ofthisDecision,shallnotbeincreased.Theintroduc­
tionofnewrebatesordiscountsshallbeprohibited .
2.Surchargesorextrasofanysortpublishedin
pricelistsandconditionsofsaleatthedateofentry
intoforceofthisDecisionshallnotbecancelledor
reduced.
3.Thetermsandtimesallowedforpayment
publishedinthepricelistsatthedateofentryinto
forceofthisDecisionshallnotbechanged.Article1
1.ThisDecisionshallapplytoundertakingsinthe
ironandsteelindustryoftheEuropeanCoalandSteel
Community andtotheirsellingagenciesand
middlemen asreferredtoinDecisionNo30-53and
No31-53.
2.TheCommission herebyfixesthefollowing
minimumpricesforsalesofreinforcement barsin
straightlengths:
(a)forordinarymildsteel,pertonne:
—530Germanmarks,
—130poundssterlingandIrishpounds,
—1106Frenchfrancs,
—198000Italianlira,
—550Dutchguilders,
—8100BelgianandLuxembourgfrancs,Article5
ThisDecisionshallapplytosalesbothwithinthe
CommunityandontheterritoriesoftheRepublicof
Austria,theRepublicofFinland,theKingdomof
Norway,theKingdomofSwedenandtheEuropean
territoryoftheRepublicofPortugal.—1335Danishkrones;
(b)forhighyieldtoBS4449,pertonne:
—550Germanmarks,
—134-50poundssterlingandIrishpounds,
—1145Frenchfrancs,
—205000Italianlira,
—570Dutchguilders,
—8400BelgianandLuxembourgfrancs,Article6
1.Theminimumpricesshallnotprecludealign­
mentsormorefavourabledeliveredpricesbasedon
thepricelistsofotherproducersintheCommunity
orinthecountriesreferredtoinArticle5. —1380Danishkrones.

5.5.77 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL114/3
peanCommunitiesandshallremainvaliduntil31
December1977unlessrepealedbeforethatdate.2.However,withinthecommonmarket,align­
mentsonoffersforconcretereinforcement barsfrom
anycountrythatisnotaMemberStateoftheCommu­
nityshallbeauthorizedonlyinsofarasthedelivered
pricesarenotlowerthanthedeliveredpricesbasedon
amorefavourableCommunitypricelist.
Article7
1.ThisDecisionshallenterintoforceontheday
ofitspublicationintheOfficialJournaloftheEuro­2.Withoutprejudicetotheadjustmentprovided
forinArticle1(3),theCommissionmayadjustthe
leveloftheminimumpricesduringtheperiodof
validityofthisDecisionifitconsidersthatthedeve­
lopmentofthesituationsorequires.
ThisDecisionshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicableinallMember
States.
DoneatBrussels,4May1977.
FortheCommission
ThePresident
RoyJENKINS