Commission Regulation (EC) No 76/2002 of 17 January 2002 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: 2002-01-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: import (EU), iron and steel product, market protection, originating product, surveillance concerning imports

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 76/2002

of 17 January 2002

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,

(4)

Should import restrictions actually be applied on the US
market, they are likely to cause major fluctuations in the
structure of international trade, and in particular the
deflection of
trade towards the Community market.
Such deflection could seriously harm the Community
steel

industry.

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 2474/2000 (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:

(1)

(2)

(3)

In accordance with Regulations (EC) No 3285/94 and
(EC) No 519/94, products covered by the Treaty estab-
lishing the European Coal and Steel Community are
subject
is
for
therefore
Community surveillance measures in respect of ECSC
products be adopted in accordance with those Regula-
tions.

to the common rules for imports, and it

arrangements

necessary

that

the

The situation on the steel market has worsened consid-
erably in 2001 under the combined impact of a number
of factors, chief among them being a marked downturn
in the world economy evident from the outset of the
year and the recession that began to affect some econo-
mies, including that of the United States, in the latter
half of the year.

The steel market has also been unsettled by the uncer-
tainty and hedging caused by the possibility of import
restrictions on the US market following the US adminis-
tration's ‘Section 201’ safeguard investigation.

(5)

Available economic indicators and estimates for 2001
show the following trends:

(A) Production.

steel

crude

Production of

in the
Community in 2001 is expected to be about 159
million tonnes. This estimate is not only 2,5 %
than production in 2000 (163,2 million
lower
tonnes), it is also lower than the levels recorded in
1997 (159,4 million tonnes) and 1998 (159,7
million tonnes).

(B) Imports. Imports of ECSC iron and steel products
into the Community from all third countries will
remain appreciably the same as in 2000, at about
25 million tonnes. By way of
comparison,
Community imports of these products totalled 12,2
million tonnes in 1996. This means that steel
imports
into the Community have more than
doubled in the past five years.

(C) Exports. At a probable level of about 21 million
tonnes, Community exports of ECSC iron and steel
products in 2001 are about 8 % down on the
previous year. By way of comparison, Community
imports of these products amounted to 28 million
tonnes in 1996. Community exports to the US and
Canada have been hit particularly hard, falling by an
estimated 36 % and 32 % respectively. This trend
will worsen in 2002 if restrictions are introduced on
the
the US market.
Community is expected to be a net importer of iron
and steel products, with a trade deficit in excess of 4
million tonnes. In 1996 the Community recorded a
trade surplus of the order of 15,8 million tonnes.

For 2001 as

a whole,

(1) OJ L 349, 31.12.1994, p. 53.
(2) OJ L 286, 11.11.2000, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 67, 10.3.1994, p. 89.
(4) OJ L 159, 3.6.1998, p. 1.

(D) Prices. Prices for iron and steel products in 2001
were 18 % lower on average than in 2000.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

Since the scope of the Section 201 safeguard invest-
igation includes pipes and tubes, the possibility of US
restrictions on these products cannot be excluded. Prior
surveillance should therefore be extended to pipes and
tubes.

The Community's external trade statistics are not avail-
able within the periods established by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1917/2000 (1), as amended by Regu-
lation (EC) No 1669/2001 (2).

The interests of the Community require that imports of
certain iron and steel products should be subject to prior
Community surveillance in order to provide statistical
information permitting rapid analysis of import trends.

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

(10)

Release for free circulation of the products covered by
this Regulation should be made subject to presentation
of a surveillance document meeting uniform criteria.

(11)

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 document
should therefore be valid only as long as the import
rules remain unchanged.

(12)

The surveillance documents issued for the purposes of
Community surveillance must be valid throughout the
Community, regardless of the Member State of issue.

(13)

The Member States
and the Commission should
exchange the information resulting from Community
surveillance as fully as possible.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

1.
From 1 January 2002 the release for free circulation 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 countries other than the countries of the
European Free Trade Association (EFTA), countries which are
parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area
(EEA), and Turkey. Products which are subject to a double-
checking agreement
established between a non-member
country and the Community shall be subject to the conditions
established by that agreement and not to this Regulation.

2.
The classification of the products covered by this Regula-
tion is based on the tariff and statistical nomenclature of the
Community (hereinafter called the ‘combined nomenclature’, or
in abbreviated form ‘CN’). The origin of the products covered
by this Regulation shall be determined in accordance with the
rules in force in the Community.

Article 2

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

2.
The surveillance document referred to in paragraph 1
shall be issued automatically by the competent authorities in
the Member States, without charge and for any quantities
requested, within five working days of presentation of an
application by any Community importer, wherever it may be
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.

(14)

The issue of surveillance documents, while subject to
is to be the
standard conditions at Community level,
responsibility of the national authorities.

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

(15)

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

(1) OJ L 229, 9.9.2000, p. 14.
(2) OJ L 224, 21.8.2001, p. 3.

The surveillance document shall be made out on a form
4.
corresponding to the model at Annex I of Regulation (EC) No
3285/94 (3) on common rules for imports or in Annex IV to
Regulation (EC) No 519/94 on common rules for imports from
certain third countries. The importer's application shall include
the following elements:

(3) As modified by Council Regulation (EC) 139/96 of 22 January
1996 (OJ L 21, 27.7.1996, p. 7), and taking into account
the
provisions of Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1103/97 of
17 June 1997 on certain provisions relating to the introduction of
the euro (OJ L 162, 19.6.1997, p. 1).

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(a) the name and full address of the applicant (including tele-
phone and fax numbers, and possible identification number
used by the competent national authorities) and VAT regis-
tration number,

if subject to VAT;

(b) if applicable, the name and full address of the declarant or
representative of the applicant (including telephone and fax
numbers);

documents and evidence must be available to the competent
authorities.

8.
The surveillance document may be issued by electronic
means as long as the customs offices involved have access to
the document via a computer network.

(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 kg, and the 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 substan-

dard quality (1);

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

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

tion concerning the same contract;

(j) the following declaration, dated and signed by the applicant

with the transcription of his name in capital

letters:

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

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 certifi-
cate of production issued by the producing steel mill.

Surveillance documents may be used only for such time
5.
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 agreement 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.

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.

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

Article 4

The Member States shall communicate to the Commis-

1.
sion:

(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 docu-
ments have been issued;

(b) within six weeks of the end of each month, details of
imports during that month, in accordance with Article 32
of Regulation No (EC) 1917/2000.

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

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

Article 5

Any notices to be given under this Regulation shall be given to
the Commission of the European Communities and shall be
communicated electronically via the integrated network set up
for this purpose, unless for imperative technical reasons it is
necessary to use other means of communication temporarily.

The importer shall return surveillance documents to the

6.
issuing authority at the end of their period of validity.

Article 6

7.
The competent authorities may allow the submission of
declarations or requests to be transmitted or printed by elec-
tronic means, under the conditions fixed by them. However, all

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

(1) Under the criteria given in OJ C 180, 11.7.1991, p. 4.

This Regulation shall
December 2002.

apply

from 1 January

to 31

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

Done at Brussels, 17 January 2002.

For the Commission

Pascal LAMY

Member of the Commission

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ANNEX

LIST OF PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO PRIOR SURVEILLANCE (2002)

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 (*)

7211 23 99 (*)

7211 29 20

7211 29 50 (*)

7211 29 90 (*)

7211 90 11

7211 90 90 (*)

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 20
7225 40 50
7225 40 80
7225 50 00

7226 11 10
7226 11 90 (*)
7226 19 10
7226 19 30
7226 19 90 (*)
7226 91 10
7226 91 90
7226 99 20

7227 90 10

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 (*)

Complete CN
Heading 7306 (*)

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

(*) Products covered by the EC Treaty.

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LISTA DE LAS AUTORIDADES NACIONALES COMPETENTES

LISTE OVER KOMPETENTE NATIONALE MYNDIGHEDER

LISTE DER ZUSTÄNDIGEN BEHÖRDEN DER MITGLIEDSTAATEN

∆ΙΕΥΘΥΝΣΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΧΩΝ ΕΚ∆ΟΣΗΣ Α∆ΕΙΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΚΡΑΤΩΝ ΜΕΛΩΝ

LIST OF THE COMPETENT NATIONAL AUTHORITIES

LISTE DES AUTORITÉS NATIONALES COMPÉTENTES

ELENCO DELLE COMPETENTI AUTORITÀ NAZIONALI

LĲST VAN BEVOEGDE NATIONALE INSTANTIES

LISTA DAS AUTORIDADES NACIONAIS COMPETENTES

LUETTELO TOIMIVALTAISISTA KANSALLISISTA VIRANOMAISISTA

FÖRTECKNING ÖVER BEHÖRIGA NATIONELLA MYNDIGHETER

BELGIQUE/BËLGIË
Ministère des affaires économiques
Administration des relations économiques
Services licences
Rue Général Leman 60
B-1040 Bruxelles
Fax (32-2) 230 83 22

Ministerie van Economische Zaken
Bestuur van de Economische Betrekkingen
Dienst Vergunningen
Generaal Lemanstraat 60
B-1040 Brussel
Fax (32-2) 230 83 22

DANMARK
Erhvervsfremme Styrelsen
Søndergade 29
DK-8600 Silkeborg
Fax (45) 35 46 64 01

DEUTSCHLAND
Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle
(BAFA)
Frankfurter Straße 29-35
D-65760 Eschborn 1
Fax: (49-61) 96 9 42 26

ΕΛΛΑ∆Α
Υπουργείο Εθνικής Οικονοµίας
Γενική Γραµµατεία ∆ιεθνών Σχέσεων
∆ιεύθυνση ∆ιεθνών Οικονοµικών Ροών
Κορνάρου 1
GR-10563 Αθήνα
Φαξ: (301) 328 60 94

ESPAÑA
Ministerio de Economía
Dirección General de Comercio Exterior
Paseo de la Castellana 162
E-28046 Madrid
Fax: (34) 915 63 18 23/913 49 38 31

FRANCE
Service des industries manufacturières
DIGITIP
12, rue Villiot — Bâtiment Le Bervil
F-75572 Paris cedex 12
Fax (33-1) 53 44 91 81

IRELAND
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Import/Export Licensing, Block C
Earlsfort Centre
Hatch Street
Dublin 2
Fax: (353-1) 631 28 26

ITALIA
Ministero delle Attività produttive
Direzione generale per la politica commerciale e per
la gestione del regime degli scambi
Viale America 341
I-00144 Roma
Fax (39) 06 59 93 22 35/06 59 93 26 36

LUXEMBOURG
Ministère des affaires étrangères
Office des licences
BP 113
L-2011 Luxembourg
Fax (352) 46 61 38

NEDERLAND
Belastingdienst douane
Centrale dienst voor in- en uitvoer
Engelse Kamp 2
Postbus 30003
9700 RD Groningen
Nederland
Fax (31-50) 526 06 98
M.i.v. 18 januari 2002
Fax (31-50) 523 23 41

ÖSTERREICH
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit
Außenwirtschaftsadministration
Landstrasser Hauptstraße 55-57
A-1030 Wien
Fax: (43-1) 711 00/8386

PORTUGAL
Ministério da Economia
Direcção-Geral das Relações Económicas Internacionais
Av. da República, 79
P-1069-059 Lisboa
Fax: (351) 21 793 22 10

SUOMI
Tullihallitus
PL 512
FIN-00101 Helsinki
Faksi: (358-9) 614 28 52

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

UNITED KINGDOM
Department of Trade and Industry
Import Licensing Branch
Queensway House, West Precinct
Billingham, Cleveland
UK-TS23 2NF
Fax: (44-1642) 533 557