Resolution of the ECSC Consultative Committee on an increased implementation of coal and steel research within the fifth Community framework programme for RTD (1998 to 2002)
Date: 1998-04-02
Institutions: Consultative Committee of the European Coal and Steel Community
Subjects: ECSC, EU programme, coal industry, iron and steel industry, research and development, technological change

C  155/10

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

20.5.98

RESOLUTION  OF  THE  ECSC  CONSULTATIVE  COMMITTEE  ON  AN 
INCREASED
IMPLEMENTATION  OF  COAL  AND  STEEL  RESEARCH  WITHIN  THE  FIFTH  COMMUNITY
FRAMEWORK  PROGRAMME  FOR  RTD  (1998  to  2002)

(98/C  155/04)

(Text  with  EEA  relevance)

(adopted  unanimously  less  one  abstention  during  the  339th  Session  of  2  April  1998)

THE  CONSULTATIVE  COMMITTEE  OF
THE  EUROPEAN  COAL  AND  STEEL  COMMUNITY,

referring  to  the  proposal  for  a  European  Parliament  and
Council  Decision  concerning 
framework
programme  of  the  European  Community  for  research,
technological  development  and  demonstration  activi(cid:220)
ties(cid:216)(˛)  and,  in  particular,  the  common  position  of  the
Council  adopted  on  12  February  1998,

fifth 

the 

recalling  its  resolution  on  the  future  of  collaborative
research  in  the  coal  and  steel  sectors  adopted  unani(cid:220)
mously  at  the  336th  session  of  20  June  1997(cid:216)(ˇ),

recalling  its  resolution  on  the  research  fund  decided  on
at  the  Amsterdam  European  Council  of  16  June  1997,
adopted  unanimouly  at  its  plenary  session  of  10  October
1997(cid:216)(—),

the  Europe  of 

tomorrow.  Research  on 

contributions  to  solving  the  problems  facing  our
society.  The  two  industries  currently  offer  and  will
continue  to  offer  numerous  employment  opportunities
in  the  European  Union.  Very  high(cid:220)performance  steels
are  being  developed  in  all  sectors  which  use  steel.
Steel 
is  both  from  the  economic  and  from  the
ecological  point  of  view  a  high  quality  material.  Coal
is  set  to  be  an  important  raw  material  and  a  reliable
energy  source,  especially  for  electricity  production,
for 
the
treatment  of  acid  fumes  and  other  pollutants  must
therefore  be  intensified  in  order  to  make  coal  a  "green
fuel’  which  no 
the
environment.  Materials  with  new  properties  and  tech(cid:220)
nologies  which  have  been  or  are  being  developed  in
the  coal  and  steel  industries  will  also  lead  to  export
opportunities  on  world  markets.  This  is  also  true  for
the  exports  of  downstream  sectors  of  both  industries.
In  this  context,  it  has  to  be  stressed  that,  as  a  conse(cid:220)
quence  of  the  enlargement  to  countries  of  Central  and
Eastern  Europe,  the  importance  of  coal  and  steel
sectors  will  increase  considerably;

longer  causes  damage 

to 

wishes  to  stress  the  following  points:

1.(cid:217)the  results  of  ECSC  technical  and  social  research  have
been  shown  by  independent  studies(cid:216)((cid:209))(cid:216)((cid:210))(cid:216)((cid:211)),  which
have  revealed  a  considerable  measure  of  profitability,
to  be  extremely  positive.  It  is  essential  that  such  an
in  the
effective  research 
future;

instrument  be  maintained 

3.(cid:217)the  decision  of  the  Council  of  Industry  Ministers(cid:216)((cid:212))
not  to  extend  the  ECSC  Treaty  but  to  allow  it  to
expire  on  23  July  2002,  at  the  end  of  the  period  for
it  was  concluded,  has  always  gone  hand(cid:220)
which 
in(cid:220)hand  with  a  promise  from  the  political  authorities
that  the  interests  of  the  coal  and  steel  industries,  and
of  research  in  particular,  would  gradually  be  incor(cid:220)
porated  into  the  European  Union’s  policies;

2.(cid:217)the  coal  and  steel  industries  have  made  in  the  past  and
substantial

to  make 

future 

likely 

are 

the 

in 

(˛)(cid:217)Doc.  COM(97)  142  final.
(ˇ)(cid:217)OJ  C  220,  19.7.1997,  pp.  12(cid:220)14.
(—)(cid:217)OJ  C  356,  22.11.1997,  pp.  6(cid:220)7.
((cid:209))(cid:217)"Evaluation  of  the  economic  effects  of  the  ECSC  research
programmes’,  June  1994,  report  drawn  up  by  Mr  Trentini.
((cid:210))(cid:217)"Evaluation  of  the  ECSC  research  programm’,  September
1996,  report  drawn  up  by  Smith  Vincent(cid:216)&(cid:216)Co.  and
Geoffrey  Walton  Practice.

((cid:211))(cid:217)"ECSC  social  research’,  1996,  report  drawn  up  by  Enrico

Gibellieri  et  al.

4.(cid:217)the  experience  of  integrating  the  coal  and  steel  sectors
into  the  fourth  framework  programme  was  highly
unsatisfactory,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  now  vital  that
coal  and  steel  be  accorded  equal  rights  compared  with
the  fifth  framework
other  sectors  for  access 
programme.  In  comparison  with  competing  materials,
coal  and  steel  have  a  big  potential  for  the  future.  The
the
ECSC  Consultative  Committee  welcomes 

to 

((cid:212))(cid:217)Conclusion  of 

the  Council  of 

Industry  Ministers  of

24  November  1992.

20.5.98

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

C  155/11

increase 

statement  made  by  the  Council  that  it  is  ".(cid:216).(cid:216).  necessary
to 
implementation  within  the  framework
programme  of  activities  currently  being  carried  out  on
the  basis  of  the  ECSC  Treaty  which  expires 
in
2002’(cid:216)(˛).  The  ECSC  Consultative  Committee  also
welcomes  the  fact  that  the  research  and  technological
development  activities  of  a  generic  nature  by

(˛)(cid:217)Doc.  6108/1/98,  24  March  1998.

and 

improved  materials 

developing  new 
and
production  technologies  in  the  steel  field  have  been
maintained  in  full.  Moreover,  the  ECSC  Consultative
Committee  recommends  that,  in  particular  as  part  of
the  key  action  relating  to  an  economic  and  efficient
energy  supply  for  a  competitive  Europe,  the  point
referring  to 
improved  exploration,  extraction  and
production  efficiency  of  energy  vectors  should  not  be
the
restricted 
Council’s  common  position,  but  should  apply  to  all
fossil  fuels.

to  hydrocarbons,  as 

indicated 

in 

Notice  of  initiation  of  anti(cid:220)dumping  proceedings  concerning  imports  of  steel  stranded  ropes  and
cables  originating  in  the  People’s  Republic  of  China,  India,  the  Republic  of  Korea,  South  Africa
and  the  Ukraine

(98/C  155/05)

The  Commission  has  received  a  complaint  pursuant  to
Article  5  of  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  384/96(cid:216)(˛)
(hereafter  referred  to  as  "the  Basic  Regulation’),  alleging
that  imports  of  steel  stranded  ropes  and  cables  orig(cid:220)
inating  in  the  People’s  Republic  of  China,  India,  the
Republic  of  Korea,  South  Africa  and  the  Ukraine  are
being  dumped  and  are  thereby  causing  material  injury  to
the  Community  industry.

1.(cid:217)Complaint

The  complaint  was  lodged  on  8  April  1998  by  the
Liaison  Committee  of  European  Union  Wire  Rope
Industries  (EWRIS)  on  behalf  of  producers  representing
a  major  proportion  of  the  total  community  steel  stranded
ropes  and  cables  production.

2.(cid:217)Product

The  product  allegedly  being  dumped  is  steel  stranded
ropes  and  cables  (including  locked  coil  ropes),  with  a
maximum  cross(cid:220)sectional  dimension  exceeding  3  mm.

codes 

products 

classifiable  within
These 
CN 
7312(cid:216)10(cid:216)86,
7312(cid:216)10(cid:216)88,  7312(cid:216)10(cid:216)99.  These  CN  codes  are  given  for
information  only.

are 
7312(cid:216)10(cid:216)82, 

7312(cid:216)10(cid:216)84, 

currently 

(˛)(cid:217)OJ  L  56,  6.3.1996,  p.  1,  as  amended  by  Regulation  (EC)  No

2331/96  (OJ  L  317,  6.12.1996,  p.  1).

3.(cid:217)Allegation  of  dumping

(a)(cid:217)India,  South  Africa  and  the  Republic  of  Korea

The  allegation  of  dumping  is  based  on  a  comparison
of  normal  value  established  on  the  basis  of  domestic
prices  in  these  countries  with  the  respective  export
prices  of  the  product  concerned  to  the  Community.
On  this  basis  the  dumping  margins  calculated  are
substantial  for  all  the  exporting  countries  concerned.

(b) People’s  Republic  of  China  and  the  Ukraine

the  Ukraine  are  considered 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  People’s  Republic  of
China  and 
to  be
non(cid:220)market  economy  countries,  the  complainant  has
proposed  that  normal  value  be  established  on  the
basis  of  the  price  in  a  market  economy  third  country.

The  allegation  of  dumping  is  based  on  a  comparison
of  normal  value  established  on  the  basis  of  domestic
prices  in  Norway  with  the  respective  export  prices  of
the  product  concerned  to  the  Community.  On  this
basis,  the  dumping  margins  calculated  are  substantial.

4.(cid:217)Allegation  of  injury

The  complainant  alleges  and  has  provided  evidence  that
imports  from  the  People’s  Republic  of  China,  India,  the
Republic  of  Korea,  South  Africa  and  the  Ukraine  have
increased  significantly  in  absolute  terms  and  in  terms  of
market  share.