Commission Decision No 2769/98/ECSC of 21 December 1998 derogating from High Authority Recommendation No 1/64 concerning an increase in the protective duty on iron and steel products at the external frontiers of the Community (166th derogation)
Date: 1998-12-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: customs duties, import, iron and steel product, supply, tariff quota

L 346/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 12. 98

COMMISSION DECISION No 2769/98/ECSC

of 21 December 1998

derogating from High Authority Recommendation No 1/64 concerning an
increase in the protective duty on iron and steel products at the external frontiers
of the Community (166th derogation)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, and in
particular the third paragraph of Article 71 thereof,

Having regard to High Authority Recommendation No 1/64 of 15 January 1964 to the
Governments of the Member States concerning an increase in the protective duty on iron
and steel products at the external frontiers of the Community (1), as last amended by
Commission Recommendation 88/27/ECSC (2), and in particular Article 3 thereof,

Whereas certain iron and steel products indispensable to the manufacture of certain goods
and having very special physical and chemical characteristics are not produced in the
Community, or are produced in insufficient quantities; whereas for a number of years the
insufficiency has been overcome by duty-free tariff quotas; whereas Community producers
are still not in a position to comply with the present quality requirements put forward by
the users; whereas duty-free tariff quotas at a level securing the supply of users is conse-
quently required;

Whereas import of these products on preferential terms is unlikely to cause injury to iron
and steel undertakings in the Community which produce directly competing products;

Whereas these tariff quotas are unlikely to jeopardise the objectives of Recommendation
No 1/64, but will help to maintain existing trade flows between the Community and
non-member countries;

Whereas these are special cases in the commercial policy field justifying the authorisation
of derogations pursuant to Article 3 of Recommendation No 1/64;

Whereas is is necessary to make sure that the tariff quotas granted will have no other
function than meeting the specific needs of certain transforming industries;

Whereas the Governments of the Member States have been consulted on the tariff quotas
set out below;

Whereas Commission Regulation (EC) No 1427/97 of 23 July 1997 amending Regulation
(EEC) No 2454/93 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation
(EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code (3) fixes rules for managing
tariff quotas to be used in chronological order of the dates of declarations,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. Member States are hereby authorised to derogate from the obligations arising pursuant
to Article 1 of High Authority Recommendation No 1/64 to the extent necessary to
suspend at the levels indicated the customs duties on the products set out below, within
the quantities of the tariff quotas set out below:

(1) OJ 8, 22. 1. 1964, p. 99/64.
(2) OJ L 15, 20. 1. 1988, p. 13.
(3) OJ L 196, 24. 7. 1997, p. 31.

22. 12. 98

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 346/21

Quota
(tonnes)

Quota
duty
(%)

End of
quota
period

200

0

31.12.1999

500

0

31.12.1999

825

0

31.12.1999

Order No

CN code

TARIC
code

Description

09.2921

(a)

ex 7209 16 90

10

ex 7209 17 90

10

09.2922

(b)

ex 7219 32 10

ex 7219 33 10

ex 7219 34 10

09.2927

(c)

ex 7219 33 10

ex 7219 34 10

11
12

11
12

11
12

13
14
15
16
17
18

13
14
15
16
17
18

steel, of

Flat-rolled products of iron
or non-alloy
a
width of 600 mm or more,
cold-rolled
(cold-reduced)
not clad, plated or coated:
Of a thickness exceeding 1
mm but less than 3 mm

Of a thickness of 0,5 mm or
more but not exceeding 1
mm

products

Flat-rolled
of
stainless steel, of a width of
600 mm or more not
further worked than cold-
rolled (cold-reduced):
Of a thickness of 3 mm or
more but less than 4,75 mm
containing by weight 2,5 %
or more of nickel

Of a thickness exceeding 1
mm but
less than 3 mm
containing by weight 2,5 %
or more of nickel

Of a thickness of 0,5 mm or
more but not exceeding 1
mm, containing by weight
2,5 % or more of nickel

products

Flat-rolled
of
stainless steel, of a width of
600 mm or more not
further worked than cold-
rolled (cold-reduced):

Of a thickness exceeding 1
mm but
less than 3 mm
containing by weight 2,5 %
or more of nickel

Of a thickness of 0,5 mm or
more but not exceeding 1
mm, containing by weight
2,5 % or more of nickel

The abovementioned products must, in addition, comply with the following physical

2.
specifications:

(a) Products falling within CN codes ex 7209 16 90 and ex 7209 17 90:

High carbon steel with a carbon content by weight of 0,64 to 0,70 % for the produc-
tion of process or transport belts with a permissible operating temperature of 400 (cid:190)C.
Tensile strength 1 200 N/mm2 (5 10 %). Other elements or properties following
special technical specification (HM 1708).

(b) Products falling within CN codes ex 7219 32 10 11/12, ex 7219 33 10 11/12 and

ex 7219 34 10 11/12:

Stainless steel ‘Nicro' for the production of process or transport belts with a permissible
operating temperature of 350 (cid:190)C.

L 346/22

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Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 12. 98

Type (i): tensile strength 1 050 N/mm2 (5 10 %). Chemical composition: maximum
carbon content 0,06 %; 13 % chromium content; 4 % nickel content.

Other elements or properties following special technical specification (HM 1708).

Type (ii): tensile strength 1 200 N/mm2 (5 15 %). Chemical composition: maximum
carbon content 0,15 %; 17 % chromium content; 7 % nickel content.

Other elements or properties following special technical specification (HM 1708).

(c) Products falling within CN codes ex 7219 33 10 13/14/15/16/17/18 and ex 7219 34 10

13/14/15/16/17/18:

Stainless steel for the production of process or transport belts

Type (i): tensile strength 1 200 N/mm2. Chemical composition: 0,1 % carbon content;
0,6 % silicon content; 1,4 % manganese content; 17,5 % chromium content; 7,5 %
nickel content.

Other elements or properties following special technical specification (HM 1712).

tensile strength 1 200 N/mm2. Chemical composition: 0,06 % carbon
Type (ii):
content; 0,6 % silicon content; 1,4 % manganese content; 18,5 % chromium content;
8,5 % nickel content.

Other elements or properties following special technical specification.

tensile strength 1 000 N/mm2. Chemical composition: 0,05 % carbon
Type (iii):
content; 0,6 % silicon content; 1,7 % manganese content; 17,5 % chromium content;
12,5 % nickel content; 2,7 % molybdenum content.

Other elements or properties following special technical specification.

Type (iv): tensile strength 1 080 N/mm2. Chemical composition: maximum carbon
content 0,05 %; maximum silicon content 1 %; 13 % chromium content; 4 % nickel
content; 0,3 % titanium content.

Other elements or properties following special technical specification (HM 1710).

Type (v): tensile strength 1 150 N/mm2. Chemical composition: maximum carbon
content 0,08 %; 1,5 % silicon content; 14 % chromium content; 7 % nickel content;
0,7 % copper content.

Other elements or properties following special technical specification (HM 1701).

tensile strength 1 200 N/mm2. Chemical composition: 0,03 % carbon
Type (vi):
content; 0,6 % silicon content; 15,25 % chromium content; 4,9 % nickel content;
3,25 % copper content.

Other elements or properties following special technical specification.

Note: The composition of products (a), (b) and (c) (i) to (vi) may vary within the limits of

the standards applicable to analysis.

Article 2

Member States are hereby authorised to derogate from the obligations arising pursuant to
Article 1 of High Authority Recommendation No 1/64 to the extent necessary to suspend
at the levels indicated the customs duties on the products set out below, within the
quantities of the tariff quotas set out below:

22. 12. 98

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 346/23

Order No

CN code

TARIC
code

Description

Quota
(tonnes)

Quota
duty
(%)

End of
quota
period

09.2923

(a) ex 7227 90 95

15

09.2924

(b) ex 7227 90 95

25

5 000

0

31.12.1999

500

0

31.12.1999

the
Special wire rod for
of
oil-tem-
manufacture
pered valve
spring wire
with a diameter of 5 mm or
more but not exceeding 15
mm, of other alloy steel
containing by weight:

0,5 % or more but not
more than 0,8 % of carbon

0,1 % or more but not
more than 1,7 % of silicon

0,5 % or more but not
more
0,8 % of
manganese

than

0,03 % or less of sulphur

0,03 % or
phorus

less of phos-

0,4 % or more but not
more
0,8 % of
chrome

than

0,1 % or more but not
more than 0,3 % of vana-
dium

the
Special wire rod for
of
oil-tem-
manufacture
pered valve
spring wire
with a diameter of 5,5 mm
or more but not exceeding
10 mm, of other alloy steel
containing by weight:

0,63 % or more but not
more than 0,72 % of car-
bon

0,15 % or more but not
more than 0,3 % of silicon

0,5 % or more but not
more
0,9 % of
manganese

than

0,02 % or less of sulphur

0,02 % or
phorus

less of phos-

0,4 % or more but not
more
0,6 % of
chrome

than

0,06 % or less of copper

0,06 % or less of nickel

0,1 % or more but not
more than 0,2 % of vana-
dium

L 346/24

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Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 12. 98

Article 3

The tariff quotas referred to in Articles 1 and 2 shall be managed by the Commission, in
accordance with Articles 308a to 308c of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 (1).
The Commission may take any appropriate administrative measures to ensure that they are
managed efficiently.

Article 4

Each Member State shall ensure that importers of the products in question have equal and
continuous access to the quotas for as long as the balance of the relevant quota volume so
permits.

The Member States and the Commission shall cooperate closely to ensure that this
Decision is complied with.

Article 5

Article 6

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

It shall apply from 1 January until 31 December 1999.

This Decision shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States.

Done at Brussels, 21 December 1998.

For the Commission

Leon BRITTAN

Vice-President

(1) OJ L 253, 11. 10. 1993, p. 1.