DECISION OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 26 September 1997 on certain measures applicable with regard to the Russian Federation concerning trade in certain steel products covered by the ECSC Treaty (97/636/ECSC)

THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

In agreement with the Commission,

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

1. Pending the entry into force of the new ECSC steel agreement with the Russian Federation, and in order to avoid disrupting the trade in the products which it covers, following the expiry on 30 September 1997 of the extended 1995-96 agreement, imports into all the Member States of steel products covered by the ECSC Treaty referred to in Annex I originating in the Russian Federation shall be subjected to import authorization until 31 December 1997.

2. Authorizations shall be issued only within the limits defined in Article 2. Steel products originating in the Russian Federation covered by an import authorization issued before the date of entry into force of this Decision, and which were already sent to the Community before that date, shall be admitted without the applicable authorization for the products covered by autonomous quota.

Article 2

Quantities of authorized imports shall be determined, for each product group and for the whole of the Community, according to the quotas indicated in Annex II.

Article 3

1. For the purpose of applying Article 2, the competent authorities of the Member States, before issuing import authorizations, shall notify the Commission of the amounts of the requests for import authorizations, supported by original export licences, which they have received. By return, the Commission shall notify its confirmation that the requested amount(s) of quantities are available for importation in the chronological order in which the notifications of the Member States have been received ('first come, first served` basis).

2. The requests included in the notifications to the Commission shall be valid if they establish clearly in each case the exporting country, the product group concerned, the amounts to be imported, the number of the export licence, the quota year and the Member State in which the products are intended to be put into free circulation.

3. The notifications referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be communicated electronically within the integrated network set up for this purpose, unless for imperative technical reasons it is necessary to use other means of communication temporarily.

4. The Member States shall issue the licences and forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

The Commission shall keep the Member States regularly informed of the extent to which the quantities have been used up.

5. The Member States and the Commission shall confer in order to ensure that these quantities are not exceeded.

Article 4

Should an agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel products be concluded and enter into force during the period of application of this Decision, the provisions of that agreement together with any measures taken to give effect to it, shall, as from the date on which the agreement enters into force, replace the provisions of this Decision.

Article 5

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

In order to maintain continuity in the management of the quotas for 1997, this Decision shall apply from 1 October 1997.

Done at Brussels, 26 September 1997.

The President

J. POOS

ANNEX I

SA. Flat-rolled products

SA1. Coils

7208 10 00

7208 25 00

7208 26 00

7208 27 00

7208 36 00

7208 37 90

7208 38 90

7208 39 90

7211 14 10

7211 19 20

7219 11 00

7219 12 10

7219 12 90

7219 13 10

7219 13 90

7219 14 10

7219 14 90

7225 19 10

7225 20 20

7225 30 00

SA1.a. Hot-rolled coils for re-rolling

7208 37 10

7208 38 10

7208 39 10

SA2. Heavy plate

7208 40 10

7208 51 10

7208 51 30

7208 51 50

7208 51 91

7208 51 99

7208 52 10

7208 52 91

7208 52 99

7208 53 10

7211 13 00

SA3. Other flat-rolled products

7208 40 90

7208 53 90

7208 54 10

7208 54 90

7208 90 10

7209 15 00

7209 16 10

7209 16 90

7209 17 10

7209 17 90

7209 18 10

7209 18 91

7209 18 99

7209 25 00

7209 26 10

7209 26 90

7209 27 10

7209 27 90

7209 28 10

7209 28 90

7209 90 10

7210 11 10

7210 12 11

7210 12 19

7210 20 10

7210 30 10

7210 41 10

7210 49 10

7210 50 10

7210 61 10

7210 69 10

7210 70 31

7210 70 39

7210 90 31

7210 90 33

7210 90 38

7211 14 90

7211 19 90

7211 23 10

7211 23 51

7211 29 20

7211 90 11

7212 10 10

7212 10 91

7212 20 11

7212 30 11

7212 40 10

7212 40 91

7212 50 31

7212 50 51

7212 60 11

7212 60 91

7219 21 10

7219 21 90

7219 22 10

7219 22 90

7219 23 00

7219 24 00

7219 31 00

7219 32 10

7219 32 90

7219 33 10

7219 33 90

7219 34 10

7219 34 90

7219 35 10

7219 35 90

7225 40 80

SB. Long products

SB1. Beams

7207 19 31

7207 20 71

7216 31 11

7216 31 19

7216 31 91

7216 31 99

7216 32 11

7216 32 19

7216 32 91

7216 32 99

7216 33 10

7216 33 90

SB2. Wire rod

7213 10 00

7213 20 00

7213 91 10

7213 91 20

7213 91 41

7213 91 49

7213 91 70

7213 91 90

7213 99 10

7213 99 90

7221 00 10

7221 00 90

7227 10 00

7227 20 00

7227 90 10

7227 90 50

7227 90 95

SB3. Other

7207 19 11

7207 19 14

7207 19 16

7207 20 51

7207 20 55

7207 20 57

7214 20 00

7214 30 00

7214 91 10

7214 91 90

7214 99 10

7214 99 31

7214 99 39

7214 99 50

7214 99 61

7214 99 69

7214 99 80

7214 99 90

7215 90 10

7216 10 00

7216 21 00

7216 22 00

7216 40 10

7216 40 90

7216 50 10

7216 50 91

7216 50 99

7216 99 10

7218 99 20

7222 11 11

7222 11 19

7222 11 21

7222 11 29

7222 11 91

7222 11 99

7222 19 10

7222 19 90

7222 30 10

7222 40 10

7222 40 30

7224 90 31

7224 90 39

7228 10 10

7228 10 30

7228 20 11

7228 20 19

7228 20 30

7228 30 20

7228 30 41

7228 30 49

7228 30 61

7228 30 69

7228 30 70

7228 30 89

7228 60 10

7228 70 10

7228 70 31

7228 80 10

7228 80 90

7301 10 00

ANNEX II

QUANTITATIVE LIMITS

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