Commission Decision No 2775/2000/ECSC of 18 December 2000 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 (168th derogation)
Date: 2000-12-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: derogation from EU law, iron and steel product, peripheral region, quantitative restriction, suspension of customs duties, tariff quota

19.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 321/41

COMMISSION DECISION No 2775/2000/ECSC

of 18 December 2000

derogating from High Authority Recommendation No 1/64 concerning an increase in the protec-
tive duty on iron and steel products at the external frontiers of the Community (168th 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 Recommendation 88/27/ECSC (2), and in particular
Article 3 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

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. For a number of years the insufficiency has been overcome by duty-free tariff
quotas. Community producers are still not in a position to comply with users' present quality
requirements. Duty-free tariff quotas at a level securing the supply of users are consequently required.

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.

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.

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

It is necessary to make sure that the tariff quotas granted will have no other function than to meet
the specific needs of certain processing industries.

The Governments of the Member States have been consulted on the tariff quotas set out below.

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 estab-
lishing 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) L 8, 22.1.1964, p. 99.
(2) OJ L 15, 20.1.1988, p. 13.
(3) OJ L 196, 24.7.1997, p. 31.

L 321/42

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

19.12.2000

Quota
(tonnes)

Quota
duty
(%)

End of
quota
period

200

0

31.12.2001

700

0

31.12.2001

980

0

31.12.2001

Order number

CN code

TARIC
code

Description

09.2921

(a)

ex 7209 16 90

ex 7209 17 90

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

Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of
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

Flat-rolled products 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 not
exceeding 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
containing by weight

exceeding 1 mm,
2,5 % or more of nickel

Flat-rolled products 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
containing by weight

exceeding 1 mm,
2,5 % or more of nickel

10

10

11
12

11
12

11
12

13
14
15
16
17
18

13
14
15
16
17
18

2.

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

(a) Products with 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 production of
assembly/conveyor belts with a permissible operating temperature of 400 °C. Tensile strength
1 200 N/mm2 (+/– 10 %). Other elements or properties following special technical specification (HM
1708).

(b) Products with CN codes ex 7219 32 10 11/12, ex 7219 33 10 11/12 and ex 7219 34 10 11/12:

‘NICRO’ stainless steel for the production of assembly/conveyor belts with a permissible operating
temperature of 350 °C.

— Type (i)

tensile strength 1 050 N/mm2 (+/– 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 (+/– 15 %). Chemical composition: maximum carbon
content 0,05 %, 17 % chromium content, 7 % nickel content.

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

19.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 321/43

(c) Products with 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 assembly/conveyor 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).

— Type (ii):

tensile strength 1 200 N/mm2. Chemical composition: 0,06 % carbon 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.

— Type (iii): tensile strength 1 000 N/mm2. Chemical composition: 0,05 % carbon 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).

— Type (vi): tensile strength 1 200 N/mm2. Chemical composition: 0,03 % carbon 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 in

force relating to analysis.

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:

Article 2

Order
Number

CN code

TARIC
code

Description

Quota
(tonnes)

Quota
duty
(%)

End of
quota
period

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

09.2923

(a) ex 7227 90 95

15

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

5 000

0

31.12.2001

carbon

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

silicon

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

manganese

— 0,03 % or less of sulphur

— 0,03 % or less of phosphorus

— 0,4 % or more but not more than 0,8 % of

chrome

— 0,1 % or more but not more than 0,3 % of

vanadium

L 321/44

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

19.12.2000

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.

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.

Article 4

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

Article 5

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 2001.

Article 6

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

Done at Brussels, 18 December 2000.

For the Commission

Pascal LAMY

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1.