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 Bulgaria, 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 Bulgaria to the Community
Date: 2000-03-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Association Council (EU), Bulgaria, export monitoring, iron and steel product, trade agreement (EU)

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 16.03.2000
COM(2000) 148 final

2000/0057 (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 Bulgaria, 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 Bulgaria 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-Bulgaria 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 Decision N° 3/972 of
the Association Council. By means of Decision N° 3/993 of the Association Council the
system was extended for the period between 1 January and 31 December 1999. Council
Regulation (EC) N° 86/984 established the corresponding implementing legislation for the
Community.

At its meeting on 2 December 1999, 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 2000.

The attached proposal consequently seeks to extend Decision N° 3/97 of the Association
Council, extended for the period between 1 January and 31 December 1999 by Decision N°
3/99 of the Association Council, for the period between 1 January and 31 December 2000.

1 OJ L 358, 31.12.94, p. 3.
2 OJ L 13, 19.1.98, p. 85.
3 OJ L 123, 13.5.99, p. 56.
4 OJ L 13, 19.1.98, p. 29.

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2000/0057 (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 Bulgaria, 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 Bulgaria 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 Bulgaria, of the other part, and in particular Article 2(1)
thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

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
Bulgaria of the other part, which entered into force on 1 February 19955, met on 2
December 1999 to discuss trends in imports of ECSC products from Bulgaria 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 105 of the Agreement that the double-checking system
introduced in 1998 by Decision N° 3/976 of the Association Council, extended for the
period 1 January to 31 December 1999 by Decision N° 3/997 of the Association
Council, should be extended for the period between 1 January and 31 December 2000.

(3)

The Parties are desirous to promote the orderly and equitable development of trade in
steel between the Community and Bulgaria.

5 OJ L 358, 31.12.94, p.3
6 OJ L 13, 19.1.98, p. 85.
7 OJ L 19, 26.1.99, p. 9.

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(4)

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 Treaty 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 Bulgaria, of the other part, concerning the export of certain steel products from
Bulgaria 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° ......./2000 of the Association Council,

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

of .................... 2000

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

(2000/...../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 Bulgaria, of the other part, which entered into force on 1 February 1995, met
on 2 December 1999 and agreed to recommend to the Association Council established under
the double-checking system introduced in 1998 by
Article 105 of the Agreement
Decision N° 3/97 of the Association Council, extended for the period 1 January to 31
December 1999 by Decision N° 3/99 of the Association Council, should be extended for the
period between 1 January and 31 December 2000;

that

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 for
the period 1 January to 31 December 1998, extended for the period 1 January to 31 December
1999 by Decision N° 3/99 of the Association Council, 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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