Draft Commission Decision on the conclusion of an agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Government of the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel products
Date: 2002-04-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: ECSC, Russia, iron and steel product, trade agreement













EUR-Lex - 52002SC0457 - EN






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52002SC0457

Draft Commission Decision on the conclusion of an agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Government of the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel products  /* SEC/2002/0457 final */  









Draft COMMISSION DECISION on the conclusion of an agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Government of the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel productsEXPLANATORY MEMORANDUMThe Community's Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the Russian Federation provides for agreements for trade of ECSC steel products.An agreement on trade between the EC and the Government of the Russian Federation for some steel products covered the period September 1997 to 31 December 2001. The Government of the Russian Federation requested the renewal of that Agreement. Following the Council Decision of 19.11.2001 authorising the Commission to negotiate a new Agreement, negotiations took place and have been completed successfully leading to the initialling of the new Agreement on 7.3.2002.This new Agreement sets quantitative limits for some steel products and will apply from date of entry into force until 31.12.2004. It includes a review clause in case candidate countries to EU membership join the EU before the expiry of the Agreement. It also includes a review clause in case the Russian Federation joins WTO before the expiry of the Agreement.Draft COMMISSION DECISION on the conclusion of an agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Government of the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel productsTHE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, and in particular the first paragraph of Article 95 thereof,Having regard to the opinion of the Consultative Committee,After the unanimous assent of the Council,Whereas:(1) Following the Council Decision of 19 November 2001, the Commission opened negotiations with the Government of the Russian Federation, culminating in an Agreement concerning trade in certain steel products covered by the European Coal and Steel Community;(2) The Agreement establishes quantitative limits for the entry into free circulation in the Community of certain steel products for the years 2002 to 2004;HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:Article 11. The Agreement with the Government of the Russian Federation concerning trade in certain steel products is hereby approved on behalf of the European Coal and Steel Community.2. The text of the Agreement [1] is annexed to this Decision.[1]  See page .... of this Official Journal.Article 2The President of the Commission is hereby authorized to designate the persons empowered to sign the Agreement referred to in Article 1 in order to bind the European Coal and Steel Community.Done at Brussels,For the CommissionMember of the CommissionAGREEMENTbetween the European Coal and Steel Community and the Government of the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel productsTHE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY,of the one part, andTHE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION,of the other part,being the Parties to this Agreement,Whereas the Parties are desirous to promote the orderly and equitable development of trade in steel between the European Coal and Steel Community (hereinafter referred to as 'the Community') and the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as 'Russia')Whereas the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part  [2], entered into force on 1 December 1997;[2]  OJ L 327, 28.11.1997, p.3Whereas Article 21 of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement provides that trade in ECSC products shall be governed by Title III, save for Article 15 thereof, and by the provisions of this Agreement;Whereas the ECSC Treaty shall expire on 23 July 2002 ; that the EC shall take over all rights and obligations contracted by the former; that it is important to clearly indicate that this Agreement will not be affected by such expiry;Bearing in mind the process of accession of the Russian Federation to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and European Community support for the integration of the Russian Federation into the international trading system;Whereas for the years 1995-2001 trade in certain products covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community was the subject of agreements between the Parties, which it is appropriate to replace with a further agreement which takes account of developments in the relationship between the Parties;Whereas this Agreement should be accompanied by cooperation between the Parties in respect of their steel industries, including appropriate exchanges of information, within the Contact Group on coal and steel as foreseen in Protocol 1 to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;HAVE DECIDED to conclude this Agreement and to this end have designated as their Plenipotentiaries:THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES:THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION:WHO HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:Article 11. This agreement applies to trade in the steel products covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community set out in Annex I originating within the Parties.2. Trade in the steel products not set out in Annex I shall not be subject to quantitative limits and shall be governed by the relevant provisions of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, in particular those relating to anti-dumping procedures and safeguard measures.3. In the case of subject matter which is not covered by this Agreement, the relevant provisions of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement shall apply.Article 21. The Parties agree to establish and maintain for the period of validity of the present Agreement for each calendar year quantitative arrangements fixing the limits set out in Annex II on Russian exports to the Community of the products set out in Annex I. Such exports shall be subject to a double-checking system as specified in Protocol A.2. The Parties agree that imports into the EC from Russia for products included in Annex I as from 1.1.2002 until the entry into force of this Agreement shall be deducted from the quantitative limits set out in Annex II.3. Imports of quantities in excess of those mentioned in Annex II shall be authorised where the EC industry is unable to meet the internal demand and results in a shortage of supply for one or more products listed in Annex I. Consultations shall take place immediately at the request of either Party to determine the level of the shortage. Following the conclusions of the consultations and on the basis of objective evidence, the EC shall instigate its internal procedures to increase the quantities set out in Annex II.4. In the case where the candidate countries to EU membership would accede before the termination of this Agreement, the Parties agree to consider the increase of quantitative limits set out in Annex II.Article 31. Imports into the customs territory of the Community for free circulation of the products set out in Annex I shall be subject to the production of an export licence issued by the authorities of Russia and to proof of origin in accordance with the provisions of ProtocolA.2. Imports into the customs territory of the Community of the products set out in Annex I shall not be subject to the quantitative limits set out in Annex II provided they are declared to be for re-export outside the Community in the same state or after processing, within the administrative system of control which exists within the Community.3. Carry-over to the corresponding quantitative limits for the following calendar year of the amounts of quantitative limits not used during any calendar year is authorized up to 7% of the relevant quantitative limit set out in Annex II for a product group in question for the year in which it was not used. Russia shall notify the Community no later than 1 February of the following year if it intends to make use of this provision.4. Up to 7% of the quantitative limit for a given product group may be transferred to one or more other groups within the same product category, i.e. within SA or SB, subject to the consent of both Parties.. The quantitative limit for a given product group can be reduced once in the course of a calendar year. Transfers shall not be permitted to or from product group SA1a (coils for re-rolling), except that, notwithstanding the first sentence of this paragraph, products from category SB2 and SB3, respectively up to 30 000 t and 45 000 t, may be transferred to category SA1a with the consent of both Parties. Any adjustments to the quantitative limits resulting from transfers shall only affect the calendar year in progress. At the start of the following calendar year, the quantitative limits shall be those shown at Annex II, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 3 above. Russia shall notify the Community no later than 30 June if it intends to make use of this provision.Article 41. With a view to rendering the double-checking system as effective as possible and to minimize the possibilities for abuse and circumvention:- the Community authorities shall inform Russia by the 28th of each month of the import authorizations issued during the preceding month;- the Russian authorities shall inform the Community by the 28th of each month of the export licences issued during the preceding month.In the event of any significant discrepancy taking account of the time factors involved in respect of such information either Party may request consultations which shall be opened immediately.2. Without prejudice to paragraph 1 and with a view to ensuring the effective functioning of this Agreement, the Community and Russia agree to take all necessary steps to prevent, to investigate and to take any necessary legal and/or administration action against circumvention, notably by transhipment, re-routing, false declaration concerning the country or place of origin, falsification of documents, false declaration concerning quantities, description or classification of merchandise. Accordingly, the Community and Russia agree to establish the necessary legal provisions and administrative procedures permitting effective action to be taken against such circumvention, which shall include the adoption of legally binding corrective measures against exporters and/or importers involved.3. Should the Community believe on the basis of information available that this Agreement is being circumvented, the Community may request consultations with Russia which shall be held immediately.4. Pending the results of the consultations referred to in paragraph 3, Russia shall, as a precautionary measure, and if so requested by the Community, take all necessary measures to ensure that, where sufficient evidence of circumvention is provided, adjustments of the quantitative limits liable to be agreed following the consultations referred to in paragraph 3, shall be carried out for the calendar year in which the request for consultations under paragraph 3 was made, or for the following year, if the limit for that calendar year is exhausted.5. Should the Parties be unable in the course of the consultations referred to in paragraph 3 to reach a mutually satisfactory solution, the Community shall have the right:(a) where there is sufficient evidence that products covered by this Agreement originating in Russia have been imported in circumvention of this Agreement, to set off the relevant quantities against the quantitative limits established under the Agreement.(b) where sufficient evidence shows false declaration concerning quantities description or classification has occurred, to refuse to import the products in question.6. The Parties agree to cooperate fully to prevent and to address effectively all problems arising from circumvention of this Agreement.Article 51. The quantitative limits established under this Agreement on imports of steel products into the Community shall not be broken down by the Community into regional shares.2. The Parties shall cooperate in order to prevent sudden and prejudicial changes in traditional trade flows into the Community. Should a sudden and prejudicial change in traditional trade flows arise (including regional concentration or the loss of traditional customers), the Community will be entitled to request consultations in order to find a satisfactory solution to the problem. Such consultations shall be held immediately.3. Russia shall endeavour to ensure that exports into the Community of products set out in Annex I are spaced out as evenly as possible over the year. Should a sudden and prejudicial surge of imports arise, the Community will be entitled to request consultations in order to find a satisfactory solution to the problem. Such consultations shall be held immediately.4. In addition to the obligation contained in paragraph 3, where licences issued by the Russian authorities have reached 90% of the quantitative limits for the calendar year in question, either Party may request consultations concerning the quantitative limits for that year. Such consultations shall be held immediately. Pending the outcome of such consultations the Russian authorities may continue to issue export licences for the products set out in Annex I provided they do not exceed the quantities set out in Annex II.Article 61. Where any product set out in Annex I is being imported into the Community from Russia under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause substantial injury to Community producers of like products, the Community shall supply Russia with all relevant information with a view to seeking a solution acceptable to both Parties. The Parties shall commence consultations promptly.2. Should the consultations referred to in paragraph 1 above fail to lead to agreement within 30 days of the Community's request for consultations, the Community may utilise the right to take action concerning safeguard measures pursuant to the provisions of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.3. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Agreement, the provisions of Article 18 of the PCA shall apply.Article 71. The classification of the products covered by this Agreement is based on the tariff and statistical nomenclature of the Community (hereinafter called the "combined nomenclature", or in abbreviated form "CN"). Any amendment to the combined nomenclature (CN) made in accordance with the procedures in force in the Community concerning the products set out in Annex I or any decision relating to the classification of goods shall not have the effect of reducing the quantitative limits of the products set out Annex II.2. The origin of the products covered by this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the rules in force in the Community. Any amendment to these rules of origin shall be communicated to Russia and shall not have the effect of reducing the quantitative limits of this Agreement. The procedures for control of the origin of the products referred to above are laid down in Protocol A.Article 81. Without prejudice to the periodic exchange of information on export licences and import authorizations pursuant to Article 4 (1), the Parties agree to exchange available statistical information relating to trade in the products set out in Annex I at appropriate intervals, taking account of the shortest periods in which the information in question is prepared, which shall cover export licences and import authorizations issued pursuant to Article 3 and import and export statistics in respect of the products in question.2. Either Party may request consultations in the event of any significant discrepancy between the information exchanged.Article 91. Without prejudice to provisions concerning consultations foreseen in respect of specific circumstances in preceding Articles, consultations shall be held on any problems arising from the application of this Agreement at the request of either Party. Any consultations shall take place in a spirit of cooperation and with a desire to reconcile the differences between the Parties.2. Where this Agreement provides that consultations shall be held immediately, the Parties undertake to use all reasonable means to ensure that this is achieved.3. All other consultations shall be governed by the following provisions:- any request for consultations shall be notified in writing to the other Party,- where appropriate, the request shall be followed within a reasonable period by a report setting out the reasons for the consultations,- consultations shall begin within one month from the date of the request,- consultations shall endeavour to arrive at a mutually acceptable result within one month of their commencement, unless the period is extended by agreement between the Parties.Article 101. When the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community expires on 23 July 2002, the European Community shall take over all rights and obligations contracted by the former under this Agreement2. The Parties agree that this Agreement will be continued and that all rights and obligations of the Parties under this Agreement shall be maintained after such expiry.3. The reference in Article 21 of the PCA to products covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community shall be read to refer to products listed in Annex III after the expiry of the said Treaty.Article 111. This Agreement shall enter into force on the day of its signature. It shall be applicable until 31 Decembre 2004 subject to any modifications agreed by the Parties and unless it is denounced in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3 of this Article.2. Either Party may at any time propose modifications to this Agreement which shall require the mutual consent of the Parties and take effect as agreed by them.3. Either Party may denounce this Agreement, provided that at least six months' notice is given. In that event, the Agreement shall come to an end on the expiry of the period of notice and the limits established by this Agreement shall be reduced on a pro rata basis up to the date on which denunciation takes effect unless the Parties decide otherwise by common agreement.4. In the event that the Russian Federation accedes to the WTO before the expiration of this Agreement, the Agreement shall be reviewed prior to such accession to ensure that its provisions are consistent with WTO rules. The operation of the Agreement shall also be reviewed in the event of new multilateral commitments accepted both by the Community and Russia concerning the steel products covered by this Agreement.5. The Annexes and Protocol A attached to this Agreement shall form an integral part thereof.Article 12This Agreement shall be drawn up in duplicate in the Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Russian languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.Done at ............... on .......For the Commission of the European CommunitiesFor the Government of the Russian FederationANNEX I&gt;TABLE POSITION&gt;ANNEX IIQUANTITATIVE LIMITS(tonnes)&gt;TABLE POSITION&gt;Note: SA and SB are product categoriesSA1 to SA4 and SB1 to SB3 are product groupsANNEX IIIPRODUCTS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 10&gt;TABLE POSITION&gt;Agreed minute N° 1In the context of the Agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel products signed in ..................... on ................... the Parties agree that:- in pursuance of the exchange of information foreseen in Article 4 (1) concerning export licences and import authorizations, the Parties will supply that information by reference to the Member States in addition to the Community as a whole,- if the Parties are unable to reach a satisfactory solution during the consultations foreseen by Article 5 (2), Russia will cooperate, if so requested by the Community, by not issuing export licences for an intended destination where imports pursuant to such licences would aggravate the problems resulting from sudden and prejudicial changes in traditional trade flows, it being understood that Russia may continue to issue licences for other Community destinations,- the Parties will cooperate closely in order to prevent sudden and prejudicial changes in traditional trade flows in respect of coils for re-rolling (product group SA1a); Russia will give priority to deliveries to its traditional customers for these products in order to avoid disturbing the Community market, and both Parties will inform the other immediately in the event of any emerging problems, and- Russia will take due account of the sensitive nature of small regional markets within the Community both as regards their traditional needs for supplies and the avoidance of regional concentrations.Agreed minute N° 2In the context of the conclusions of the negotiations of the new Agreement, the Parties have agreed to include in the product coverage of the agreement steel products alloyed with boron classified under the EU Combined Nomenclature 7226 20 20, 7226 91 10, 7226 91 90, 7226 99 20 in order to address the concerns of the EU that imports of these products could be regarded as circumvention of the Agreement.The Parties agree that any similar use of alloyed steel products which would have as effect of creating a similar situation would not be compatible with a fair implementation of, and could be considered as an infringement of, the new Agreement. In such a case, the Parties shall enter immediately into consultations with the objective of finding rapidly an acceptable solution. If no acceptable solution is agreed within 3 months of the date of the notification of the problem, the parties may take appropriate measures until an acceptable solution is agreed.The content of this agreed minutes will constitute an integral part of the new Agreement.Declaration No 1In the case Russian operators were to set up service centers in the EU that would further process products imported from Russia and covered by this Agreement, Russia declares that it could request an increase of quantitative limits mentioned in Annex II. In this case, the Commission could examine such request of increase if the market situation allows it.Declaration No 2The Parties declare that they aim at achieving complete liberalisation of trade in steel products. Both Parties also recognize that it is an important condition for promoting trade between them that competition, state aid and environment provisions applicable within each Party must be compatible. To this end, and upon request from Russia, the Community shall provide technical assistance, within relevant earmarked budgetary limits, to help Russia to adopt and implement legislative provisions compatible with those adopted and applied by the Community. The technical assistance shall be channelled through detailed projects agreed by both Parties.Declaration No 3In the context of the Agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Russian Federation on trade in certain steel products signed in ................... on ..........., the Parties agree that they shall not apply with respect to the other Party quantitative restrictions, customs duties, charges or any similar measures on the export of ferrous waste and scrap under the EC Combined Nomenclature heading 7204, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 19 of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.Without prejudice to paragraph 1, in order not to delay the conclusion of this Agreement and due to lack of time, the Parties agreed to leave unresolved the issue of the tax introduced by Russia on exports of ferrous waste and scrap under the EC combined Nomenclature 7204. The tax is currently set at 15% but not less than EUR 15 per ton for all products of 7204, except for product 7204 41 00 where the tax is set at 5%. Nevertheless, the Parties agree to continue the discussion to find a satisfactory solution as soon as possible.It is understood that the quantitative limits set out in Annex II of the Agreement would be increased by 12% if the Russian Federation removes completely the tax or by a lower percentage to be determined if such tax is reduced, provided that no other measures that would constitute an obstacle to free export are introduced by Russia.The products of particular interest for the EC are: 7204 10 00, 7204 21 10,  7204 41 10, 7204 49 10, 7204 49 30, 7204 49 91 and 7204 49 99.Declaration No 4With respect to export of ferrous waste and scrap under the EC combined Nomenclature 7204, Russia declares that it will maintain the customs points currently open and that it will open 2 additional customs points at the latest by the date of entry into force of this Agreement to allow exports by road and rail through Central Europe: these customs points are Smolensk and Topoly-Solovej.PROTOCOL ATITLE ICLASSIFICATIONArticle 1The competent authorities of the Community undertake to inform Russia of any changes in the combined nomenclature (CN) in respect of products covered by this Agreement before the date of their entry into force in the Community.TITLE IIORIGINArticle 21. Products covered by this Agreement originating in Russia (as defined by the relevant Community Regulations) to be exported to the Community in accordance with the arrangements established by this Agreement shall be accompanied by a certificate of Russian origin conforming to the model annexed to this Protocol.2. The certificate of origin shall be certified by the competent Russian organizations authorized under Russian legislation as to whether the products in question can be considered as products originating in that country.Article 3The certificate of origin shall be issued only on application having been made in writing by the exporter or, under the exporter's responsibility, by his authorized representative. The competent Russian organizations authorized under Russian legislation shall ensure that the certificate of origin is properly completed and for this purpose they shall request for any necessary documentary evidence or carry out any checking which they consider appropriate.Article 4The discovery of slight discrepancies between the statements made in the certificate of origin and those made in the documents produced to the customs office for the purpose of carrying out the necessary formalities for importing the products shall not ipso facto cast doubt upon the statements in the certificate.TITLE IIIDOUBLE-CHECKING SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO QUANTITATIVE LIMITSSECTION IExportationArticle 5The appropriate Russian governmental authorities shall issue an export licence in respect of all consignments from Russia of steel products covered by the Agreement up to the relevant quantitative limits set out in Annex II to the Agreement.Article 61. The export licence shall conform to the model annexed to this Protocol and it shall be valid for exports throughout the customs territory of the Community.2. Each export licence must certify inter alia that the quantity of the product in question has been set off against the relevant quantitative limit established for the product concerned in Annex II to the Agreement.Article 7The competent authorities of the Community must be informed immediately of the withdrawal or modification of any export licence already issued.Article 81. Exports shall be set off against the quantitative limits established for the year in which the shipment of goods has been effected even if the export licence is issued after such shipment.2. For the purposes of applying paragraph 1, shipment of goods is considered to have taken place on the date of their loading onto the exporting transport as evidenced by their bill of lading or other transport document.SECTION IIImportationArticle 91. Steel products originating in Russia, covered by a valid import licence issued pursuant to Decision 2001/932/ECSC [3], as amended, which were already sent to the Community before the date of entry into force of this Agreement shall be admitted within the limits applicable for the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002.[3]  O.J. L 345, 29.12.2001, p. 712. The release for free circulation into the Community of the products covered by the Agreement shall be subject to the presentation of an import authorization.Article 101. The presentation by the importer of an export licence shall be made not later than 31 March of the year following that in which the goods covered by the licence have been shipped.2. The competent authorities of the Community shall issue the import authorization referred to in Article 9 above, within 10 working days of the presentation by the importer of the original of the corresponding export licence. A list of the competent authorities is annexed to this Protocol.3. The import authorizations shall be valid for four months from the date of their issue for importation throughout the customs territory of the Community.4. The competent authorities of the Community shall cancel the import authorization already issued whenever the corresponding export licence has been withdrawn.However, if the competent authorities of the Community are notified of the withdrawal or the cancellation of the export licence only after the release for free circulation of the products into the Community, the relevant quantities shall be set off against the limits established for the product.Article 11If the competent authorities of the Community find that the total quantity of the products covered by export licences issued by the competent authorities of Russia exceed the limits set out in Annex II to the Agreement, the Community authorities shall suspend the further issue of import authorizations. In this event, the competent authorities of the Community shall immediately inform the competent authorities of Russia and immediate consultations pursuant to Article 9 (2) of the Agreement shall be initiated.TITLE IVFORM AND PRODUCTION OF EXPORT LICENCES AND CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN, AND COMMON PROVISIONS CONCERNING EXPORTS TO THE COMMUNITYArticle 121. The export licence and the certificate of origin may comprise additional copies duly indicated as such. They shall be made out in English. If they are completed by hand, entries must be in ink and in printed script.These documents shall measure 210 x 297 mm. The paper used shall be white writing paper, sized, not containing mechanical pulp, and weighing not less than 25 g/m2; If the documents have several copies only the top copy, which is the original, shall be printed with the guilloche pattern background. This copy shall be clearly marked 'original' and the other copies 'copies'. Only the original shall be accepted by the competent authorities of the Community as being valid for the purpose of export to the Community in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement.2. Each document shall bear a standardized serial number, whether or not printed, by which it can be identified.This number shall be composed of the following elements:- two letters identifying the exporting country as follows: RU,- two letters identifying the intended Member State of customs clearance as follows:BE= BelgiumDK = DenmarkDE = GermanyEL = GreeceES = SpainFR = FranceIE = IrelandIT = ItalyLU  = LuxembourgNL = NetherlandsAT = AustriaPT = PortugalFI = FinlandSE = SwedenGB = United  Kingdom,- a one-digit number identifying the year in question corresponding to the last figure in the year, e.g. '2' for year 2002,- a two-digit number from 01 to 99, identifying the particular issuing office concerned in exporting country,- a five-digit number running consecutively from 00001 to 99999 allocated to the intended Member State of customs clearance.Article 13The export licence and the certificate of origin may be issued after the shipment of the products to which they relate. In such cases, they must bear the endorsement 'issued retrospectively'.Article 141. In the event of the theft, loss or destruction of an export licence or a certificate of origin, the exporter may apply to the competent Russian authorities which issued the document for a duplicate to be made out on the basis of the export documents in his possession. The duplicate of any such certificate or licence so issued shall bear the endorsement 'duplicate'.2. The duplicate shall bear the date of the original export licence or certificate of origin.TITLE VADMINISTRATIVE COOPERATIONArticle 15The Community and Russia shall cooperate closely in the implementation of the provisions of this Protocol. To this end, contacts and exchanges of views, including on technical matters, shall be facilitated by both Parties.Article 16In order to ensure the correct application of this Protocol, the Community and Russia offer mutual assistance for the checking of the authenticity and the accuracy of export licences issued and certificates of origin issued or of any declarations made within the terms of this Protocol.Article 17Russia shall send the Commission of the European Communities the names and addresses of the competent Russian governmental authorities which are authorized to issue and to verify export licences and the competent Russian organizations authorized under Russian legislation to issue certificates of origin together with specimens of the stamps and signatures they use. Russia shall also notify the Commission of any change in these particulars.Article 181. Subsequent verification of certificates of origin or export licences shall be carried out at random, or whenever the competent Community authorities have reasonable doubt as to the authenticity of the certificate or licence or as to the accuracy of the information regarding the true origin of the products in question.2. In such cases, the competent authorities in the Community shall return the certificate of origin or the export licence or a copy thereof to the appropriate Russian authorities giving, where appropriate, the reasons of form or substance which justify an enquiry. If the invoice has been submitted, such invoice or a copy thereof shall be attached to the certificate or to the licence or their copies. The authorities shall also forward any information that has been obtained suggesting that the particulars given on the said certificate or licence are inaccurate.3. The provisions of paragraph 1 above shall also apply to subsequent verifications of the certificates of origin provided for in Article 2 of this Protocol.4. The results of the subsequent verifications carried out in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be communicated to the competent authorities of the Community within three months at the latest. The information communicated shall indicate whether the disputed certificate or licence applies to the goods actually exported and whether these goods are eligible for export under the arrangements established by the Agreement. The information shall also include, at the request of the Community, copies of all the documentation necessary to fully determine the facts, and in particular the true origin of the goods.5. For the purpose of subsequent verification of certificates of origin, copies of the certificates  as well as any export documents referring to them shall be kept by the competent Russian organizations for at least one year following the end of the Agreement.6. Recourse to the random verification procedure specified in this Article must not constitute an  obstacle to the release for free circulation of the products in question.Article 191. Where the verification procedure referred to in Article 18 or where information available to the competent authorities of the Community or of Russia indicates or appears to indicate that the provisions of this Agreement are being circumvented or infringed, the two Parties shall cooperate closely and with the appropriate urgency in order to prevent any such circumvention or infringement.2. To this end, the appropriate Russian authorities shall, on their own initiative or at the request of the Community, carry out appropriate inquiries, or arrange for such inquiries to be carried out, concerning operations which are, or appear to the Community to be, in circumvention or infringement of this Protocol. Russia shall communicate the results of these inquiries to the Community, including any other pertinent information enabling the cause of the circumvention or  infringement, including the true origin of the goods to be determined.3. By agreement between the Community and Russia, officials designated by the Community may be present at the inquiries referred to in paragraph 2 above.4. In pursuance of the cooperation referred to in paragraph 1 above, the competent authorities of the Community and Russia shall exchange any information considered by either Party to be of use in preventing circumvention or infringement of the provisions of this Agreement. These exchanges may include information on the trade in the type of products covered by this Agreement between Russia and third countries, particularly where the Community has reasonable grounds to consider that the products in question may be in transit across the territory of Russia prior to their importation into the Community. This information may include, at the request of the Community, copies of all relevant documentation, where available.5. Where sufficient evidence shows that the provisions of this Protocol have been circumvented or  infringed, the competent authorities of Russia and the Community may agree to take any measures necessary to prevent a recurrence of such circumvention or infringement.EXPORT LICENCE&gt;TABLE POSITION&gt;EXPORT LICENCE&gt;TABLE POSITION&gt;CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN&gt;TABLE POSITION&gt;CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN&gt;TABLE POSITION&gt;LISTE OVER KOMPETENTE NATIONALE MYNDIGHEDERLISTE DER ZUSTÄNDIGEN BEHÖRDEN DER MITGLIEDSTAATENÄÉÅÕÈÕÍÓÅÉÓ ÔÙÍ ÁÑ×ÙÍ ÅÊÄÏÓÇÓ ÁÄÅÉÙÍ ÔÙÍ ÊÑÁÔÙÍ ÌÅËÙÍLISTA DE LAS AUTORIDADES NACIONALES COMPETENTESLISTE DES AUTORITES NATIONALES COMPETENTESELENCO DELLE COMPETENTI AUTORITA NAZIONALILIJST VAN BEVOEGDE NATIONALE INSTANTIESLISTA DAS AUTORIDADES NACIONAIS COMPETENTESLUETTELO TOIMIVALTAISISTA KANSALLISISTA VIRANOMAISISTAFÖRTECKNING ÖVER BEHÖRIGA NATIONELLA MYNDIGHETERLIST OF THE COMPETENT NATIONAL AUTHORITIESBELGIQUE/BELGIËMinistère des Affaires EconomiquesAdministration des Relations EconomiquesServices LicencesRue Général Leman 60B-1040 BruxellesFax: +32-2-230 83 22//FRANCESetice8, rue de la Tour-des-DamesF-75436 Paris Cedex 09Fax: +33-1-55 07 46 69Ministerie van Economische ZakenBestuur van de Economische BetrekkingenDienst VergunningenGeneraal Lemanstraat 60B-1040 BrusselFax: +32-2-230 83 22  //  IRELANDDepartment of Enterprise, Trade and EmploymentImport/ Export Licensing, Block CEarlsfort CentreHatch StreetDublin 2Fax : +353-1-631 28 26DANMARKErhvervsfremme StyrelsenØkonomi- og ErhvervsministerietVejlsøvej 29DK-8600 SilkeborgFax: +45 35 46 64 01//ITALIAMinistero delle Attivita ProduttiveDirezione generale per la politica commerciale e per la gestione del regime degli scambiViale America 341I-00144 RomaFax : +39-6-59 93 22 35 / 59 93 26 36DEUTSCHLANDBundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle,(BAFA)Frankfurter Strasse 29-35D-65760 Eschborn 1Fax : +49-61 96 9 42 26  //  LUXEMBOURGMinistère des affaires étrangèresOffice des licencesBP 113L-2011 LuxembourgTéléfax : +352-46 61 38ÅËËÁÓÕðïõñãåßï ÅèíéêÞò ÏéêïíïìßáòÃåíéêÞ Ãñáììáôåßá Äéåèíþí Ó÷ÝóåùíÄéåýèõíóç Äéåèíþí Ïéêïíïìéêþí ÑïþíÊïñíÜñïõ 1GR-105 63 ÁèÞíáFax : +301-3286094  //  NEDERLANDBelastingdienst/Douane centrale dienst voor in- en uitvoerPostbus 30003, Engelse Kamp 2NL-9700 RD GroningenFax : +31-50 526 06 98m.i.v. 18.01.2002Fax : +31- 50 5232341ESPAÑAMinisterio de EconomíaSecretaría General de Comercio ExteriorPaseo de la Castellana 162E-28046 MadridFax : +34-1-563 18 23/349 38 31  //  ÖSTERREICHBundesministerium für Wirtschaft und ArbeitAussenwirtschaftsadministrationLandstrasser Hauptstrasse 55-57A-1030 WienFax: +43-1-711 00/8386PORTUGALMinistério da EconomiaDirecção-Geral das Relações Económicas InternacionaisAlfândega de Lisboa, Largo do Terreiro do TrigoP-1100 LisboaFax : 351- 21 881 42 61  //SVERIGEKommerskollegiumBox 6803S-11386 StockholmFax: 46-8-30 67 59SUOMITullihallitusPL 512FIN-00101 HelsinkiTelekopio: + 358 9 614 2852  //  UNITED KINGDOMDepartment of Trade and IndustryImport Licensing BranchQueensway House - West PrecinctBillingham, ClevelandUK-TS23 2NFFax : 44-1642-533 557&gt;TABLE POSITION&gt;