ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)94
Vol.1978/0034

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concerningtheopeningtothepublicofthehistoricalarchivesoftheEuropeanEconomic
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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(78)94final
Brussels,6March1978
Draftfora
COMMISSION "DECISION ECSC
prohibiting alignmentonoffersofironand
steelproducts,(includingpigiron),originating
incertainthirdcountries
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission )
C0M(78)94final

9
On28thDecember1977theConsultative Committeegaveits
opiniononthefirstdraftofthisDecision.
On17thJanuary1978theCouncilofMinistersgaveitsunanimous
assenttothisfirstdraft.
However,theannexlistingthecountrieswithwhomanArrangement
wastobesigned,h;idstilltobedrawnup.Thisannexisnowattachedto
thenewdraftDecision.
Further,duringthecourseofnegotiations withcertainthird
countriesithasbecomeclearthatitisnecessarytospecifythose
productswherethebanonalignmentwouldapply.ArticleOneofthe
draftDecisionhasbeenmodifiedaccordingly,andtheoldArticle2,
overtakenbyeventsj,hasbeencancelled.Thepreamblestothedraft
Decisionhavealsobeenalteredaccordingly .Finally,variouschanges
tothewordingofthedraftDecisionhavebeenmadeinresponsetothe
requestsofboththeCouncilandtheCommission'sLegalService.
SincetheArrangements mentionedintheannextothedraftDecision
maybesignedintheverynearfuture,theCommissionsuggeststhatthe
CouncilSecretariat askfortheCouncil'sassentbymeansofthe
acceleratedwrittenprocedure.Forthesamereason,itissuggestedthat
theConsultative Committee'sOfficetooasksfortheCommittee'sopinion
bymeansoftheacceleratedwrittenprocedure.

COMMISSION DECISION 'ECSC
prohibiting alignment onoffersofironandsteelproducts,
originating incertainthirdcountries.
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanCoalandSteel
Community,and,inparticular,thefirstandsecondparagraphsof
Article95,thereof,
WhereastheCommission hastakenmeasuresrelatingtopricesonthecommon
marketinsteel;whereasthegovernments ofcertainthirdcountries have
assuredtheCommission oftheircooperation overthemeasureswhichithas
taken;whereasinparticular thesecountrieswillensurethatdeliveries
ofironsteelproductsdonotexceedtonnagescompatible withthesituation
ofthecommonmarket;whereasfurthermore thesecountrieswillensurethat
theinvoicedpricesoftheirdeliveriesofironandsteelproductsinthe
Communityarecompatible withthelevelsofguidancepricesandminimum
pricespublishedbytheCommission;
Whereasexperience hasshownthatcompliance withtheminimumpricesand
guidancepricespublished bytheCommission cannotbesecuredifoffers
atlowerpricesandforonlysmallquantities maybeusedasbasefor
alignments;whereasthesefactorswouldincreasedownwardpressures on
CommunitypricesweretheCommission nottoabolishtherightofCommunity
undertakings toaligntheirpricesontheselow-pricedoffersfromthird
countries;
WhereastheTreaty,andmoreparticularly Article60thereof,makesno
provisionforaprohibitionofthisnature;whereasprohibition ofsuch
alignmentsisnecessaryfortheattainment,inthefunctioning ofthe
commonmarketinsteelandinconformity withArticle5oftheTreaty,
oneoftheCommunity'sobjectives asdefinedinArticles 2,3andA;
whereasArticle2oftheTreatylaysupontheCommunitythetaskof
pursuingitsobjectivesinharmonywiththegeneraleconomyofthe

-2-
MemberStates;whereastheeconomicandsocialobjectivessetoutin
Article3(c),(e)and(g)alsonecessitate thetakingofthisDecision;
Whereasthegeneralprinciplesregardingintervention bytheCommission,
laiddowninArticle5oftheTreaty,apply;whereas,underpresent
marketconditions,thecontinuedweakeninginthepricesofironandsteel
products(includingpigiron)canbehaltedonlybytheprohibition of
suchalignment;
Whereasthecooperationwithcertainofthecountriesinquestionmay
coveronlysomeironandsteelproducts;whereasitisthereforenecessary
tospecifytheironandsteelproductscoveredbythemeasure;
*
Whereascooperation bythecountriesconcernedappliesonlyforalimited
period;whereastheprohibition ofalignmentmusthaveatimelimit;
WhereastheCommission maycontactthegovernments ofcertainother
thirdcountriesinordertosecurethesamecooperation ;whereasthe
arrangements nowinforcemightbecancelledforunforeseen reasons;
whereasconsequently theCommission mustbeabletoalterthelistof
countriesinvolved;
Whereas,asregardsthosethirdcountriesfromwhomtheCommission has
notgotthiscooperation,itisnecessarythatCommunityundertakings
continuetohavetherighttoaligntheirpricesonthoseofoffersfrom
thesethirdcountries;
Whereasobservanceoftheprohibition mustbeassuredbypenalties;
whereastheapplication ofthepenaltieslaiddowninArticle64ofthe
Treatyforbreachesofpricemeasureswouldbesuitable;
HavingconsultedtheConsultative Committee,andwiththeunanimous
assentoftheCouncilofMinisters,
HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION:

-3-
ArticleOne
Communityundertakings areprohibited fromaligningtheiroffers
onthetermsofoffersofthirdcountryundertakings situateinthe
countrieslistedintheAnnexandfortheproductssetouttherein.
TheCommission shallamendthislistifneedbe.
Article 2
ShouldArticle 1ofthisDecisionbebreached/thepenaltiesre­
ferredtoinArticle64oftheTreatyshallbeapplicable .
Article3
ThisDecisionshallenterintoforceon 1978.It
shallexpireon31December1978.
TheCommission reservestherighttorepealthisDecisionwholly
orinpartbeforethatdateshouldmarketconditions andtheinterests
oftheCommunityundertakings sorequire.
ThisDecisionshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectly
applicable inallMemberStates.
DoneatBrussels, FortheCommission
ThePresident
RoyJENKINS

Annex
Thebanonalignmentintroduced bythisDecisioncoversthe
termsofferedbyundertakings situateinthefollowingcountries:
1.RepublicofAustria ,
2.RepublicofFinland
3.KingdomofNorway
A.KingdomofSweden
5.RepublicofPortugal
andasregardstheironandsteelprtductsforwhichtheCommission
hasfixedbaseprices(2)forthepurposesofapplyingRecommendation
77/329/ECSC(1)^withtheexceptionofferromanganese ,OCTHeading
n°73.02AI
6.SwissConfédération
andasregards
Concretereinforcing barswithminoridentations,flanges,groovesor
otherdeformations producedduringtherollingprocess,whetherornot
twistedafterrolling,NIMEXEnumber(3)73-10AIIa;
smoothreinforcing bars,NIMEXEnumber(3)ex73-10AIIb.
(1)O.J.N°L114of5.5.1977asamendedbyRecommendation
N°3004/77/ECSC-O.J.N°L352of31.12.1977
(2)O.J.N°L353of31.12.1977
(3)Nomenclature ofgoodsfortheexternaltradestatisticsofthe
CommunityandstatisticsoftradebetweenMemberStates,
O.J.NoL325of19December1977