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Brussels, 11.12.1998 
COM(199)736 final 
98/0340 (ACC) 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
"4 *'.*£ on the position to be taken by the Community within the Association Council established 
by the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, 
of the one part, and Romania, of the other part, which entered into force on 1 February 
1995, concerning the export of certain steel products from Romania to the Community 
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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
The aim of the double-checking system is to improve transparency and to avoid possible 
diversions of trade. It is founded on the provision in the EC-Romania Europe Agreement1 
which allows either Party to introduce an administrative procedure having as its purpose 
the rapid provision of information on the trend of trade flows. The Parties agreed to 
establish such a system in 1998 in respect of certain ECSC steel products by means of 
Association Council Decision N° 3/972. Council Regulation (EC) N° 84/983 established 
the corresponding implementing legislation for the Community. 
At its meeting on 14 October 1998, the Contact Group agreed to recommend that the 
Association Council should extend the double-checking system for the period between 1 
January and 31 December 1999. 
The attached proposal consequently seeks to extend Association Council Decision N° 
3/97 for the period between 1 January and 31 December 1999. 
'OJN°L 357, 31.12.94, p. 2. 
2OJN°L 13, 19.01.98, p. 57. 
-*OJN°L 13, 19.01.98, p. I. 
Proposal for a Council Decision 
on the position to be taken by the Community within the Association Council established 
by the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, 
of the one part, and Romania, of the other part, which entered into force on 1 February 
1995, concerning the export of certain steel products from Romania to the Community 
The Council of the European Union, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular 
Article 113 together with Article 228, para 2, first sentence, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the Decision of the Council and the Commission of 19 December 1994 
on the conclusion of the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and 
their Member States, of the one part, and Romania, of the other part, and in particular 
Article 2(1) thereof, 
Whereas the Contact Group referred to in Article 11 of Protocol 2 of the Europe 
Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States of the one part 
and Romania of the other part, which entered into force on 1 February 19951, met on 14 
October 1998 to discuss trends in imports of ECSC products from Romania into the 
Community and recognised the need to find appropriate solutions in the framework of 
Article 34.2 of the Agreement in order to ensure that the attainment of the objectives of 
the Agreement will not be jeopardised; 
Whereas the Contact Group therefore agreed to recommend to the Association Council 
established under Article 106 of the Agreement that the double-checking system 
introduced in 1998 by Association Council Decision N° 3/972 should be renewed for the 
period between 1 January and 31 December 1999; 
Whereas the Parties are desirous to promote the orderly and equitable development of 
trade in steel between the Community and Romania; 
Whereas the Association Council, having been supplied with all relevant information, has 
determined that the solution acceptable to the two parties which least disturbs the 
functioning of the Agreement is the renewal of the double-checking system, without 
quantitative limits, for the import into the Community of certain steel products covered 
by the ECSC Treaty between I January and 31 December 1999, 
1 OJN°L 357, 31.12.94, p.2 
2OJN°L 13, 19.01.98, p. 57. 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
The position to be taken by the Community within the Association Council established 
by the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, 
of the one part, and Romania, of the other part, concerning the export of certain steel 
products from Romania to the European Communities, and in particular the renewal of 
the double-checking system, shall be based on the draft decision of the Association 
Council annexed to this Decision. 
Done at Brussels 
For the Council 
Decision N° /98 of the Association Council, 
established under the Europe Agreement, 
between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and 
Romania, of the other part 
of 1998 
extending the double-checking system established by Decision N° 3/97 of the 
Association Council for the period 1 January to 31 December 1999 
(98/ /EC) 
THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL 
Whereas the Contact Group referred to in Article 11 of Protocol 2 of the Europe 
Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their 
Member States, of the one part, and Romania, of the other part, which entered into force 
on 1 February 1995, met on 14 October 1998 and agreed to recommend to the 
Association Council established under Article 106 of the Agreement that the double-
checking system introduced in 1998 by Association Council Decision N° 3/97 should be 
extended for the period between 1 January and 31 December 1999; 
Whereas the Association Council, having been supplied with all relevant information, has 
agreed with this recommendation, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS : 
Article 1 
The double-checking system established by Association Council Decision N° 3/97 for the 
period 1 January to 31 December 1998 shall continue to apply for the period between 1 
January and 31 December 1999. In the Preamble and Article 1 (1) and (3) of the 
Decision, references to the period 1 January to 31 December 1998 are hereby replaced by 
references to 1 January to 31 December 1999. 
Article 2 
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption. 
It shall apply with effect from 1 January 1999. 
Done at 
For the Association Council 
The President 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(98) 736 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 11 02 08 06 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-98-736-EN-C 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
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