NoL256/12 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 7.10.77
COMMISSION DECISION No2216/77/ECSC
of5October1977
amendingDecisionNo3544/73/ECSCimplementing Decision73/287/ECSCon
cokingcoalandcoke
programmes ;whereasanappropriatemethodwould
betorelaxtemporarilythecriteriaforentitlementto
aidsandalignmentrebatesforlong-termcommit­
mentsinrespectofafixedtonnage,without,however,
alteringeitherthelimitslaiddownbyArticle3(2)(a)
and(b)ofDecisionNo3544/73/ECSCortherights
andobligationsunderprivatelawarisingfromexisting
contracts;whereasthismaybedonebyprovidingthat
suchaidsandalignmentrebatesmaybegrantedon
conditionthattheactualtonnagedeliveredunder
contractin1977doesnotdeviatedownwardsfromthe
basictonnagebyapercentagegreaterthanthatby
whichthepurchaser'sironproductiondiffersfrom
thatforthereferenceperiodinrespectofhisdelivery
objectivesforironandsteelproducts;
Whereasthesamereasoningappliedtoundertakings
whichonlyproducepigironforsaletothirdparties,
sincetheirordersfromcustomerswhohaveunder­
takentoobservedeliveryobjectivesforironandsteel
productsarefallingandtheyareinthesamesituation
asthelattervis-d-vistheirCommunitysuppliersof
cokingcoalandcoke;
Whereas,inviewofthetemporarynatureofthis
measure,coalundertakingsmustcontinuetomaintain
productioncapacitytomeetalltheircontracts;
whereas,inthesecircumstances ,eachmustbeableto
countonachievingatleasttheminimumtonnage
leveldefinedaboveforeachofitscontracts ;whereas
tothatenditisnecessarytoprovidethatevery
purchaserwithlong-termcontractswithtwoormore
Communitycoalundertakingsmustcarryouteach
onetoatleastthisminimumlevel,andthatfailing
this,allitsdrawingsofCommunitycoalundertakings
mustcarryouteachonetoatleastthisminimum
level,andthatfailingthis,allitsdrawingsofCommu­
nitycoalandcokefor1977wouldceasetobeeligible
foraidandalignmentrebates,THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtoCommissionDecision73/287/ECSC
of25July1973concerningcoalandcokefortheiron
andsteelindustryintheCommunity('),andinparti­
cularArticle12thereof,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheConsultative
Committee ,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheCouncil,
WhereasCommission Decision73/287/ECSCof25
July1973,aslastamendedbyDecisionNo1613/77/
ECSC(2),expireson31December1981;whereas
Article2(1)(c)ofthatDecisionprovidesthataidsfor
cokingcoalandblast-furnacecokemaybepaidonly
wheredeliveriesaremadeunderalong-termcontract;
whereasrebatesmayonlybegrantedbycoalundertak­
ingsforsuchdeliveriesinaccordancewiththeprovi­
sionsofArticle3ofthesaidDecision ;
WhereasArticle3ofDecisionNo3544/73/ECSC
implementing theaboveDecision(3)laysdownthe
requirementswhichacontractmu^tmeetinorderto
beregardedasalong-termcontractandaccordingly
giveentitlementtotheaidsandalignmentrebates
mentionedabove;whereas,inparticular,afixed-ton­
nagecontractmayprovideforvariationsaboveor
belowthistonnagewithinthelimitslaiddownby
Article3(2)(a)and(b)ofthatDecision;
WhereastheCommission introducedmeasuresin
1977toestablishabetterbalancebetweenthesupply
ofanddemandforironandsteelproducts;whereas
thesemeasuresconsisted,interalia,inacommitment
byCommunityironandsteelundertakingstoobserve
theindividualdeliveryobjectivessetbytheCommis­
sionisnormallyrequiredtoreducesubstantially its
steelandpigironproductioninrelationtothe
selectedreferenceperiodand,consequently ,toreduce
itsconsumption ofblast-furnacecoke,andhenceof
cokingcoal,offlexibilityprovidedforinitslong-term
contractorcontractsforcokingcoalorcoke;
Whereasthissituationaffectsalargenumberofiron
andsteelundertakings ,which,fortheyear1977,need
tobeabletoobtaintheirsuppliesofcokingcoaland
blastfurnacecokeoncheapertermswhileatthesame
timeadheringtotheirindividualdeliveryHASADOPTED THISDECISION :
Article1
Article3(2)ofDecisionNo3544/73/ECSCissupple­
mentedasfollows:
4(c)Fortheyear1977inrespectofthesupplying
ofanironandsteelundertakingwhichis(•)OJNoL259,15.9.1973,p.36.
(2)OJNoL180,20.7.1977,p.8.
(3)OJNoL361,29.12.1973,p.18.

7.10.77 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL256/13
proportionatevariationinmeetinganycommit­
menttoafixedtonnageofcokingcoalorcoke
bythepigironsupplierunderDecision
73/287/ECSC.
Ifanironandsteelundertakingissupplied
undertwoormorelong-termfixedtonnage
contracts,eachofthemshallbefulfilledat
leasttotheextentspecifiedabove'.committedtoobservingthedeliveryobjectives
forironandsteelproductssetbytheCommis­
sionfulfilmentofacommitment forafixed
tonnageofcokingcoalorcokema)fallshort
ofthistonnagebyanamountnotexceeding
thepercentagereductioninproductionofpig
ironbytheundertakingin1977compared
withtheperiodservingasareferenceforits
deliveryobjectivesofironandsteelproducts.
Ifsuchanundertakingbuysinpigironthe
reductioninpigirondeliveriesbythesupplier
during1977inrelationtotheperiodservingas
areferenceforhiscustomer'sdeliveryobjec­
tivesofironandsteelproductsshalljustifyaArticle2
ThisDecisionshallenterintoforceonthedayofits
publicationintheOfficialJournaloftheEuropean
Communitiesandshallbeappliedwitheffectfrom1
January1977.
ThisDecisionshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicableinallMember
States.
DoneatBrussels,5October1977.
FortheCommission
GuidoBRUNNER
MemberoftheCommission