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 the Slovak Republic, of the other part, which entered into force on 1 February 1995, extending the double-checking system for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2000, concerning the export of certain steel products from the Slovak Republic to the Community
Date: 2000-01-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Association Council (EU), Slovakia, export monitoring, iron and steel product, trade agreement (EU)

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 07.01.2000
COM(1999) 737 final

2000/0013 (ACC)

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 the Slovak Republic, of the other part, which entered into
force on 1 February 1995, extending the double-checking system for the period from 1
January to 31 December 2000, concerning the export of certain steel products from the
Slovak Republic to the Community

(presented by the Commission)

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-Slovak Republic 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 and EC steel products by means of
Decision N° 3/972 of the Association Council. By means of Decision N° 1/993 of the
Association Council the system was extended, with amended product coverage, for the period
between 1 January to 31 December 1999. Council Regulation (EC) N° 85/984, amended by
Council Regulation (EC) N° 288/995 established the corresponding implementing legislation
for the Community.

At
the
its meeting on 7 October 1999, the Contact Group agreed to recommend that
Association Council should extend the double-checking system for the period between 1
January and 31 December 2000.

The attached proposal consequently seeks to extend Decision N° 3/97 of the Association
Council, amended by Decision N° 1/99 of the Association Council, for the period between 1
January and 31 December 2000.

1 OJ L 359, 31.12.94, p. 2.
2 OJ L 13, 19.01.98, p. 71.
3 OJ L 36, 10.02.99, p. 18.
4 OJ L 13, 19.01.98, p. 15.
5 OJ L 36, 10.02.99, p. 1

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2000/0013 (ACC)

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 the Slovak Republic, of the other part, which entered into
force on 1 February 1995, extending the double-checking system for the period from
1 January to 31 December 2000, concerning the export of certain steel products from the
Slovak Republic to the Community

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article
133 thereof,

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 the Slovak Republic, of the other part, and in particular
Article 2(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

The Contact Group referred to in Article 10 of Protocol 2 of the Europe Agreement
between the European Communities and their Member States of the one part and the
Slovak Republic of the other part, which entered into force on 1 February 19956, met
on 7 October 1999 to discuss trends in imports of ECSC and EC products from the
Slovak Republic 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;

The Contact Group therefore agreed to recommend to the Association Council
established under Article 104 of the Agreement that the double-checking system
introduced in 1998 by Decision N° 3/977 of the Association Council, amended for the
period between 1 January and 31 December 1999 by Decision N° 1/998 of the
Association Council, should be extended for the period between 1 January and
31 December 2000;

6 OJ L 359, 31.12.94, p.1
7 OJ L 13, 19.01.98, p. 71.
8 OJ L 36, 10.02.99, p. 18.

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(3)

(4)

The Parties are desirous to promote the orderly and equitable development of trade in
steel between the Community and the Slovak Republic;

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 extension of the double-checking system, without
quantitative limits, for the import
into the Community of certain steel products
covered by the ECSC and EC Treaties for the period between 1 January and 31
December 2000,

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 the Slovak Republic, of the other part, concerning the export of certain steel
products from the Slovak Republic to the European Communities, and in particular the
extension 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
The President

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Decision N° ......./99 of the Association Council,

established under the Europe Agreement,
between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
Slovak Republic, of the other part

of .................... 1999

extending the double-checking system established by Decision N° 3/97 of the Association
Council for the period 1 January to 31 December 2000

(99/...../EC)

THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL

Whereas the Contact Group referred to in Article 10 of Protocol 2 of the Europe Agreement
establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of
the one part, and the Slovak Republic, of the other part, which entered into force on 1
February 1995, met on 7 October 1999 and agreed to recommend to the Association Council
established under Article 104 of the Agreement that the double-checking system introduced in
1998 by Decision N° 3/97 of the Association Council and amended by Decision N° 1/99 of
the Association Council for the period between 1 January and 31 December 1999 should be
extended for the period between 1 January and 31 December 2000;

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 Decision N° 3/97 of the Association Council and
amended by Decision N° 1/99 of the Association Council for the period 1 January to 31
December 1999 shall continue to apply for the period between 1 January and 31 December
2000. In the Preamble and Article 1 (1) and (3) of Decision N° 3/97 of the Association
Council, references to the period 1 January to 31 December 1999 are hereby replaced by
references to 1 January to 31 December 2000.

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Article 2

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It shall apply with effect from 1 January 2000.

Done at Brussels,

For the Association Council
The President

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