Proposal for a Council Decision on trade in certain steel products between the European Community and Ukraine
Date: 2002-11-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, Ukraine, iron and steel product, quantitative restriction, trading operation

25.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 45 E/273

Proposal for a Council Decision on trade in certain steel products between the European
Community and Ukraine

(2003/C 45 E/30)

COM(2002) 627 final — 2002/0265(ACC)

(Submitted by the Commission on 15 November 2002)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States,
on the one hand, and Ukraine, on the other, provides in Article 22, paragraph 1, that trade in some steel
products shall be the subject of a specific agreement. The previous bilateral agreement between the ECSC
and the Government of Ukraine on trade for certain steel products expired on 31 December 2001. The
Parties agreed to conclude a new agreement for the years 2002-2004. Negotiations on the new steel
agreement were completed in December 2001, and pending its entry into force, a Decision of the
Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 19 December
2001 was adopted, setting out quantitative limits for the same products covered by the new steel
agreement for the period 1 January – 30 June 2002. A second Decision was adopted on 17 June
2002, amending the first one, and setting quantitative limits for the full year 2002 at the level of
2001, that is below that agreed in the new agreement, pending the resolution of the VAT refund issue
on exports of scrap from Ukraine. Indeed, the draft Agreement foresees that there must be no obstacles
whatsoever in trade of scrap between the Parties. The signature of the agreement has been postponed until
the resolution of this trade issue.

Pending its resolution,

it is necessary to extend the validity period of the above mentioned Decision.

This draft Council Decision extends the validity period of the above mentioned Decision to cover the year
2003. Quantitative limits applicable for year 2003 are those applicable for the year 2002 increased by
2,5 %. This draft Council Decision would be automatically repealed when the new agreement on trade for
some steel products enters into force.

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,

(2) The previous bilateral agreement between the ECSC and the
Government of Ukraine on trade for certain steel products
expired on 31 December 2001;

(3) The Parties agreed to conclude a new agreement and the
negotiations of this new agreement have been completed;

Whereas:

(1) The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the
European Communities and their Member States, on the
one part, and Ukraine, of the other part (1), provides in
its Article 22, paragraph 1,
trade in some steel
products shall be the subject of a specific agreement;

that

(4) Quantitative limits for the year 2002 have been fixed by
the
the Member States meeting within the
amended by

Decision 2001/933/ECSC of
Government of
Council of 19 December 2001 (2),
Decision 2002/476/ECSC (3);

the representatives of

as

(5) Pending the signature and the entry into force of the new
above mentioned Decision must be

the

agreement,
amended to cover the year 2003,

(1) OJ L 49, 19.2.1998, p. 3.

(2) OJ L 345, 29.12.2001, p. 75.
(3) OJ L 164, 22.6.2002, p. 37.

C 45 E/274

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

25.2.2003

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 2

Article 1

the
Decision 2001/933/ECSC of
Government of
the Member States meeting within the
Council of 19 December 2001 is hereby amended as follows:

representatives of

the

The provisions of
the agreement on trade in certain steel
products together with any measures to give effect to it, shall
as from the date of entry into force of the agreement replace
the provisions of this Decision.

1. In Article 1, the words ‘During the period 1 January 2002
to 30 June 2002’ are replaced by the words ‘During the
period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2003’.

Article 3

2. Annex II is replaced by the Annex to this Decision.

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

ANNEX

QUANTITATIVE LIMITS

Products

1.1.2002—31.12.2003

(tonnes)

SA. Flat products

SA1. Coils

SA2. Heavy plate

SA3. Other flat products

SB. Long products

SB1. Beams

SB2. Wire rod

SB3. Other long products

55 513

212 463

17 142

7 472

106 758

134 515