Commission Regulation (EC) No 2845/98 of 22 December 1998 introducing prior Community surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products covered by the ECSC and EC Treaties originating in certain third countries
Date: 1998-12-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: free circulation, import (EU), import policy, iron and steel product, provision of documents

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EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 354/55

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2845/98

of 22 December 1998

introducing prior Community surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel
products covered by the ECSC and EC Treaties originating in certain third
countries

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

the present Regulation all products subject to the ECSC
Treaty which originate in Turkey;

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3285/94 of
22 December 1994 on common rules for imports and
repealing Regulation (EC) No 518/94 (1), as last amended
by Regulation (EC) No 2315/96 (2), and in particular
Article 11 thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 519/94 of 7
March 1994 on common rules for imports from certain
third countries and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 1765/
82, (EEC) No 1766/82 and (EEC) No 3420/83 (3), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 1138/98 (4), and in
particular Article 9(1) thereof,

Consultations having taken place within the Committees
set up under the Regulations referred to above,

Whereas by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2604/97 (5),
as amended by Regulation (EC) No 706/98 (6), imports
into the Community of certain iron and steel products
covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and
Steel Community and the Treaty establishing the Euro-
pean Community were subject to a priori Community
surveillance;

Whereas in accordance with the provisions of Regulations
(EC) No 3285/94 and (EC) No 519/94, products covered
by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel
Community are subject to the common rules for imports
and it is therefore necessary that the arrangements for
Community surveillance measures in respect of ECSC
products be adopted in accordance with the provisions of
those Regulations;

Whereas in view of the elimination on 31 December
1998 of Turkey’s import tariffs towards the Community
in respect of all ECSC products, earlier than foreseen in
the bilateral agreement on trade in products covered by
the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel
Community, it is appropriate to remove from the scope of

Whereas the steel market in the Community has been
unstable in recent years, partly due to pressure from
imports and notably from regions with excessive produc-
tion capacity and weak domestic consumption. Since the
beginning of 1998, the steel market has been seriously
disturbed by the consequences of
the financial and
economic crisis that began in south-east Asia. Available
economic indicators show the following trends:

(a) Production. In 1997, production of crude steel in the
Community increased to 160 million tonnes, 8,8 %
above 1996. It continued to grow between January
and July 1998. Since August, production has slowed
down. The significant increase in imports of finished
steel products in the first semester, the slowdown of
the high
activity in individual consuming sectors,
level of stocks and a further reduction of exports
should result in a 1998 crude steel production of
about 160 million tonnes. It could decrease slightly in
1999, since consumption is expected to decrease by
4 % compared with 1998;

(b) Imports.

into the
Imports of ECSC products
Community from all third countries amounted to 12,2
million tonnes in 1997, 15 % above 1996. During the
first six months of 1998, imports of ECSC products
amounted to 10 million tonnes, an increase of 57,2 %
compared with the same period in 1997. Imports of
flat products increased by 70 %,
long products by
49 % and semi-finished products by 117 %. Imports
of finished products from the Asian region increased
from 0,2 million tonnes in the first half of 1997 to 1,6
million tonnes in the same period of 1998. Imports
also rose from countries indirectly affected by the
Asian crisis. Prices for certain steel products within
the Community fell by up to 30 % during 1998 as a
Imports are
consequence of
expected to stay at high levels in 1999;

low-priced imports.

(1) OJ L 349, 31. 12. 1994, p. 53.
(2) OJ L 314, 4. 12. 1996, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 67, 10. 3. 1994, p. 89.
(4) OJ L 159, 3. 6. 1998, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 351, 23. 12. 1997, p. 28.
(6) OJ L 98, 31. 3. 1998, p. 8.

(c) Exports. Exports of ECSC products decreased by 15 %
to 21 million tonnes in 1997 compared with 1996. In
the first six months of 1998, exports of ECSC prod-
ucts amounted to 8,6 million tonnes, an average

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Official Journal of the European Communities

30. 12. 98

decrease of 18 % compared with the same period in
1997. For 1998 as a whole, the Community is likely to
become a net importer of steel products for the first
time. In 1997, it had a net surplus of 8,5 million
tonnes;

the surveillance documents

the
Whereas
purposes of Community surveillance must be valid
throughout the Community, regardless of the Member
State of issue;

issued for

(d) Similar trends apply to certain steel products covered

by the EC Treaty:

Whereas the Member States and the Commission should
exchange the information resulting from Community
surveillance as fully as possible;

— in 1997, production of narrow strip coil increased
by 16,8 % compared with 1996. Imports increased
by an average of 2 % in 1997 compared with
1996. For the first six months of 1998, imports
increased by an average of 7 % compared with the
same period in 1997. However,
these general
trends conceal the pressure of imports in certain
regions of the Community.

— in 1997, production of steel

tubes and pipes
increased by 8,6 % compared with 1996. Imports
of steel tubes and pipes increased by an average of
1 % in 1997 compared with 1996. For the first six
months of 1998, imports of steel tubes and pipes
increased by an average of 34 % compared with
the same period in 1997;

Whereas, therefore, the trends with respect to certain
ECSC and EC products originating in third countries
covered by this Regulation threaten to cause injury to
Community producers;

Whereas the Community’s external trade statistics are not
available within the periods established by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 840/96 (1); whereas it is necessary that
this problem should be addressed urgently;

Whereas the interests of the Community require that
imports of certain steel products should be subject to
prior Community surveillance in order to provide statist-
import
ical
trends;

information permitting rapid analysis of

Whereas the completion of the internal market requires
that the formalities to be accomplished by Community
importers be identical wherever the goods may be cleared;

free circulation of

Whereas release for
the products
covered by this Regulation should be made subject to
presentation of a surveillance document meeting uniform
criteria;

Whereas that document should on simple application by
the importer, be endorsed by the authorities of
the
Member States within a certain period but without the
importer thereby acquiring any right to import; the docu-
ment should therefore be valid only during such period as
the import rules remain unchanged;

(1) OJ L 114, 8. 5. 1996, p. 7.

the issue of

Whereas
surveillance documents, while
subject to standard conditions at Community level, is to
be the responsibility of the national authorities;

the delivery of a
Whereas it should be recalled that
surveillance documentation for certain iron and steel
products is subject to presentation of an export document
in accordance with arrangements established within the
framework of double-checking agreements with certain
third countries; whereas the present Regulation does not
apply to the products originating in those countries which
are subject to such a double-checking system,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

From 1 January 1999, the release for free circulation
1.
in the Community of iron and steel products covered by
the ECSC and EC Treaties listed in Annex I shall be
subject to prior Community surveillance in accordance
with Articles 11 and 12 of Regulation (EC) No 3285/94
and Articles 9 and 10 of Regulation (EC) No 519/94. This
applies to imports originating in all non-member coun-
tries other than in respect of products originating in
countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA),
in countries which are Parties to the Agreement on the
European Economic Area (EEA), and in Turkey. Products
which are subject to a double-checking surveillance agree-
ment established between a non-member country and the
Community shall be subject to the conditions established
by that agreement and not to the present Regulation.

2.
The classification of the products covered by this
Regulation is based on the tariff and statistical nomencla-
ture of the Community (hereinafter called the ‘Combined
Nomenclature', or in abbreviated form ‘CN'). The origin
of the products covered by this Regulation shall be deter-
mined in accordance with the rules in force in the
Community.

Article 2

The release for

free circulation of

the products
1.
referred to in Article 1 in the Community shall be subject
to presentation of a surveillance document issued by the
relevant authorities of a Member State.

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The surveillance document referred to in paragraph
2.
1 shall be issued automatically by the competent
authority in the Member States, without charge for any
quantities requested, within five working days of presenta-
tion of an application by any Community importer,
wherever established in the Community. This application
shall be deemed to have been received by the competent
national authority no later than three working days after
submission, unless it is proven otherwise.

3. A surveillance document
the
authorities listed in Annex II shall be valid throughout
the Community.

issued by one of

4.
The surveillance document shall be made out on a
form corresponding to the model in Annex I to Regula-
tion (EC) No 3285/94 (1). The importer’s application shall
include the following elements:

(a)

the name and full address of the applicant (including
telephone and telefax numbers, and possible identi-
fication number used by the competent national
authorities) and VAT registration number, if subject to
VAT;

(b)

the name and full address of

if applicable,
the
declarant or representative of the applicant (including
telephone and telefax numbers);

(c)

the full name and address of the exporter;

(d)

the exact description of the goods, including:

— their trade name,

— the Combined Nomenclature (CN) code(s),

— the country of origin,

— the country of consignment;

(e)

the net weight, expressed in kilograms and also
quantity in the unit prescribed where other than net
weight, by Combined Nomenclature heading;

(f)

the cif value of the goods in euro at the Community
frontier by Combined Nomenclature heading;

(g) whether the products concerned are seconds or of

substandard quality (2);

(h) the proposed period and place of customs clearance;

(i) whether the application is a repeat of a previous

application concerning the same contract;

(j)

the following declaration, dated and signed by the
applicant with the transcription of his name in capital
letters:

the undersigned, certify that

‘I,
the information
provided in this application is true and given in good
faith, and that I am established in the Community.'

(1) And taking into account

the provisions of Article 2 of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1103/97 (OJ L 162, 19. 6. 1997,
p. 1).

(2) Under the criteria given in OJ C 180, 11. 7. 1991, p. 4.

The importer shall also submit a copy of the contract of
sale or purchase and of the pro forma invoice. If so
requested, for example in cases where the goods are not
directly purchased in the country of production,
the
importer shall present a certificate of production issued
by the producing steel mill.

5.
Surveillance documents may be used only for such
time as arrangements for liberalisation of imports remain
in force in respect of the transactions concerned. Without
prejudice to possible changes in the import regulations in
force or decisions taken in the framework of an agree-
ment or the management of a quota:

— the period of validity of the surveillance document is

hereby fixed at four months,

— unused or partly used surveillance documents may be

renewed for an equal period.

6.
The importer shall return surveillance documents to
the issuing authority at the end of their period of validity.

7.
The competent authorities may, under the condi-
tions fixed by them, allow the submission of declarations
or requests to be transmitted or printed by electronic
means. However, all documents and evidence must be
available to the competent authorities.

8.
The surveillance document may be issued by elec-
tronic means as long as the customs offices involved have
access to this document across a computer network.

Article 3

1. A finding that the unit price at which the transaction
is effected varies from that indicated in the surveillance
document by less than 5 % in either direction or that
the total quantity of the products presented for import
exceeds the quantity given in the surveillance document
by less than 5 % shall not preclude the release for free
circulation of the products in question.

2. Applications for surveillance documents and the
documents themselves shall be confidential. They shall be
restricted to the competent authorities and the applicant.

Article 4

The Member States

1.
Commission:

shall communicate to the

(a) on as regular and up-to-date a basis as possible and at
least by the last day of each month, details of the
quantities and values (calculated in euro) for which
surveillance documents have been issued;

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30. 12. 98

(b) within six weeks of the end of each month, details of
imports during that month, in accordance with Article
26 of Regulation (EC) No 840/96.

The information provided by Member States shall be
broken down by product, CN code and by country.

2.
The Member States shall give notification of any
anomalies or cases of fraud which they discover and,
where relevant, the basis on which they have refused to
grant a surveillance document.

Article 5

electronically within the

integrated
communicated
network set up for this purpose, unless for imperative
technical reasons it is necessary to use other means of
communication temporarily.

Article 6

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

Any notices to be given hereunder shall be given to the
Commission of the European Communities and shall be

It shall apply from 1 January to 31 December 1999.

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

Done at Brussels, 22 December 1998.

For the Commission

Leon BRITTAN

Vice-President

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ANNEX I

LIST OF PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO PRIOR SURVEILLANCE (1999)

7208 10 00
7208 25 00
7208 26 00
7208 27 00
7208 36 00
7208 37 10
7208 37 90
7208 38 10
7208 38 90
7208 39 10
7208 39 90
7208 40 10
7208 40 90
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
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 13 00
7211 14 10
7211 14 90
7211 19 20
7211 19 90
7211 23 10
7211 23 51
7211 23 91 (1)
7211 23 99 (1)
7211 29 20
7211 29 50 (1)
7211 29 90 (1)
7211 90 11
7211 90 90 (1)

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

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

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 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
7216 40 10
7216 40 90
7216 50 10
7216 50 91
7216 50 99
7216 99 10

7225 11 00
7225 19 10
7225 19 90
7225 20 20
7225 30 00
7225 40 80

7226 11 10
7226 11 90 (1)
7226 19 10
7226 19 30
7226 19 90 (1)

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

Complete
CN heading 7304 (1)

Complete
CN heading 7306 (1)

7307 93 11 (1)
7307 93 19 (1)
7307 99 30 (1)
7307 99 90 (1)

(1) Products covered by the EC Treaty.

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ANEXO II — BILAG II — ANHANG II — PAQAQTGLA II — ANNEX II — ANNEXE II — ALLEGATO II —
BIJLAGE II — ANEXO II — LIITE II — BILAGA II

LISTA DE LAS AUTORIDADES NACIONALES COMPETENTES
LISTE OVER KOMPETENTE NATIONALE MYNDIGHEDER
LISTE DER ZUST(cid:142)NDIGEN BEH(cid:153)RDEN DER MITGLIEDSTAATEN
DIEUHUMSEIS TYM AQWYM EJDOSGS ADEIYM TYM JQATYM LEKYM
LIST OF THE COMPETENT NATIONAL AUTHORITIES
LISTE DES AUTORIT(cid:144)S NATIONALES COMP(cid:144)TENTES
ELENCO DELLE COMPETENTI AUTORIT(cid:211) NAZIONALI
LIJST VAN BEVOEGDE NATIONALE INSTANTIES
LISTA DAS AUTORIDADES NACIONAIS COMPETENTES
LUETTELO TOIMIVALTAISISTA KANSALLISISTA VIRANOMAISISTA
LISTA (cid:153)VER KOMPETENTA NATIONELLA MYNDIGHETER

BELGIQUE/BELGI(cid:220)

FRANCE

Minist(cid:138)re des affaires (cid:130)conomiques
Administration des relations (cid:130)conomiques
Quatri(cid:138)me division: Mise en œuvre des politiques commerciales
internationales — Services des licences
Rue G(cid:130)n(cid:130)ral Leman 60
B-1040 Bruxelles
T(cid:130)l(cid:130)copieur:

(32 2) 230 83 22

Ministerie van Economische Zaken
Bestuur van de Economische Betrekkingen
Vierde Afdeling: Toepassing van het Internationaal Handelsbe-
leid — Dienst Vergunningen
Generaal Lemanstraat 60
B-1040 Brussel
Fax:

(32 2) 230 83 22

DANMARK

Erhvervsfremme Styrelsen
Søndergade 25
DK-8600 Silkeborg
(45) 87 20 40 77
Fax:

DEUTSCHLAND

Bundesamt f(cid:129)r Wirtschaft, Dienst 01
Postfach 5171
D-65762 Eschborn 1
Fax: 49 (61 96) 40 42 12

EKKADA

Upouqce(cid:148)o Ehmij(cid:147)r Oijomol(cid:148)ar
Cemij(cid:147) Cqallate(cid:148)a D.O.S
Die(cid:151)humsg Diadijasi(cid:150)m Enyteqijo(cid:151)
Elpoq(cid:148)ou
Joqm(cid:145)qou 1
GR-105 63 Ah(cid:147)ma
T(cid:146)kevan:

(301) 328 60 29/328 60 59/328 60 39

ESPA(cid:158)A

Ministerio de Econom(cid:146)a y Hacienda
Direcci(cid:155)n General de Comercio Exterior
Paseo de la Castellana, 162
E-28046 Madrid
Fax:

(34) 915 63 18 23/913 49 38 31

Service des industries manufacturi(cid:138)res
3-5, rue Barbet-de-Jouy
F-75357 Paris 07 SP
T(cid:130)l(cid:130)copieur:

(33 1) 43 19 43 69

IRELAND

Licensing Unit
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Kildare Street
IRL-Dublin 2
Fax:

(353 1) 676 61 54

ITALIA

Ministero per il Commercio estero
D.G. Import-export, Divisione V
Viale Boston
I-00144 Roma
Telefax:

(39) 06-59 93 26 36 / 06 59 93 26 37

LUXEMBOURG

Minist(cid:138)re des affaires (cid:130)trang(cid:138)res
Office des licences
BP 113
L-2011 Luxembourg
T(cid:130)l(cid:130)copieur:

(352) 46 61 38

NEDERLAND

Centrale Dienst voor In- en Uitvoer
Postbus 30003, Engelse Kamp 2
9700 RD Groningen
Nederland
Fax (31-50) 526 06 98

(cid:153)STERREICH

Bundesministerium f(cid:129)r wirtschaftliche
Angelegenheiten
Außenwirtschaftsadministration
Landstraßer Hauptstraße 55-57
A-1030 Wien
Fax: 43-1-715 83 47

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PORTUGAL

Direc(cid:135)(cid:209)o-Geral do Com(cid:130)rcio
Avenida da Rep(cid:156)blica, 79
P-1000 Lisboa
Telefax:

(351-1) 793 22 10

SUOMI

Tullihallitus
PL 512
FIN-00101 Helsinki
Telekopio: +358 9 614 2852

SVERIGE

Kommerskollegium
Box 6803
S-113 86 Stockholm
(46-8) 30 67 59
Fax:

UNITED KINGDOM

Department of Trade and Industry
Import Licensing Branch
Queensway House — West Precinct
Billingham, Cleveland
United Kingdom TS23 2NF
(44 1642) 53 35 57
Fax: