Council Regulation (EC) No 1500/2003 of 18 February 2003 on administering the double-checking system without quantitative limits in respect of the export of certain steel products from the Russian Federation to the European Community (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2003-02-18
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Russia, customs inspection, export (EU), iron and steel product, originating product, trade agreement (EU)

28.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 216/1

I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1500/2003

of 18 February 2003

on administering the double-checking system without quantitative limits in respect of the export
of certain steel products from the Russian Federation to the European Community

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 133 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The Agreement on partnership and cooperation estab-
lishing a partnership between the European Commu-
nities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
Russian Federation, of the other part (1), entered into
force on 1 December 1997.

The European Community and the Russian Federation
agreed to establish a double-checking system in respect
of certain steel products for the period ranging from 13
October 1997 to 31 December 1999. This Agreement
in the form of an Exchange of Letters was approved on
behalf of the European Community by means of Deci-
sion 97/741/EC (2). The system was extended for the
period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2001 by
means of Decision 2000/294/EC (3). Regulation (EC) No
2135/97 (4), extended by Regulation (EC) No 793/
2000 (5), established the corresponding implementing
legislation for the Community.

The situation relating to imports of certain steel products
from the Russian Federation to the Community has been
the subject of thorough examination and, on the basis of
relevant information supplied to them, the Parties have
concluded an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of
Letters (6) which establishes a double-checking system
without quantitative limits for the period between the
this Regulation and 31
date of entry into force of
December 2004, unless both Parties agree to terminate
the system earlier.

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Regulation should be adopted in accordance with
Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying
down the procedures for the exercise of implementing
powers conferred on the Commission (7),

(1) OJ L 327, 28.11.1997, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 300, 4.11.1997, p. 36.
(3) OJ L 96, 18.4.2000, p. 44.
(4) OJ L 300, 4.11.1997, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 96, 18.4.2000, p. 1.
(6) See page 26 of this Official Journal.
(7) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

Article 1

1.
For the period running from the date on which this Regu-
lation enters into force to 31 December 2004, in accordance
with the provisions of the abovementioned Agreement in the
form of an Exchange of Letters, imports into the Community
of certain steel products originating in the Russian Federation,
as listed in Appendix I, shall be subject to the presentation of a
surveillance document conforming to the model shown in
Appendix II issued by the authorities in the Community.

For the period running from the date on which this Regu-
2.
lation enters into force to 31 December 2004, imports into the
Community of the steel products originating in the Russian
Federation and listed in Appendix I shall, in addition, be subject
to the issue of an export document issued by the competent
Russian authorities. The export document shall conform to the
model shown in Appendix III. It shall be valid for exports
throughout
the Community. The
importer must present the original of the export document not
later than 31 March of the year following that in which the
goods covered by the document were shipped.

the customs territory of

Shipment is considered to have taken place on the date of

3.
loading on to the exporting means of transport.

The classification of the products covered by this Regula-
4.
tion is based on the tariff and statistical nomenclature of the
Community (hereinafter called the ‘CN’). The origin of
the
products covered by this Regulation shall be determined in
accordance with the rules in force in the Community.

5.
The competent authorities of the Community undertake
to inform the Russian Federation of any changes in the CN in
respect of products covered by this Regulation before their date
of entry into force in the Community.

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Goods shipped before the entry into force of this Regula-

6.
tion shall be excluded from the scope of this Regulation.

dice to possible changes in the import regulations in force or
decisions taken in the framework of an agreement or the
management of a quota:

Article 2

— the period of validity of the surveillance document is hereby

1.
The surveillance document referred to in Article 1 shall
be issued automatically by the competent authority in the
Member States, without charge for any quantities requested,
within five working days of presentation of an application by
any Community importer, wherever established in the Commu-
nity. 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.

A surveillance document issued by one of the competent
listed in Appendix IV shall be valid

2.
national authorities
throughout the Community.

The importer's application for a surveillance document

3.
shall include the following elements:

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

(c) the full name and address of the exporter;

(d) the exact description of the goods, including:

— their trade name,
— the CN code(s),
— the country of origin,
— the country of consignment;

(e) the net weight, expressed in kg and also 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 fron-

tier 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
in cases where the
purchase, the pro forma invoice and/or,
goods are not directly purchased in the country of production,
a certificate of production issued by the producing steel mill.

4.
Surveillance documents may be used only for such time
as arrangements for the liberalisation of imports remain in
force in respect of the transactions concerned. Without preju-

(1) Under

the criteria given in the Commission communication
concerning identification criteria of non-prime steel products from
third countries applied by customs services of Member States (OJ C
180, 11.7.1991, p. 4).

fixed at four months,

— unused or partly used surveillance documents may be

renewed for an equal period.

The importer shall return surveillance documents to the

5.
issuing authority at the end of their period of validity.

Article 3

1.
A finding that the unit price at which the transaction is
effected exceeds that indicated in the import document by less
than 5 % or that the total value or quantity of the products
presented for import exceeds the value or quantity given in the
import document by less than 5 % shall not preclude the
release for free circulation of the products in question.

2.
Applications for import documents and the documents
themselves shall be confidential. They shall be restricted to the
competent authorities and the applicant.

Article 4

1. Within the first 10 days of each month, the Member
States shall communicate to the Commission:

(a) details of the quantities and values (calculated in euro) for
which import documents were issued during the preceding
month;

(b) details of imports during the month preceding the month

referred to in (a).

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 an import docu-
ment.

Article 5

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

Article 6

Committee procedure

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by a committee
composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired
by a representative of the Commission.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

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The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at three months.

3.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 7

Letters between the European Community and the Russian
Federation, or amendments made to Community rules on statis-
tics, customs arrangements, common rules for imports or
import surveillance, shall be adopted in accordance with the
procedure laid down in Article 6(2).

Amendments to the appendices which may be necessary to
take into account modifications to the Annex or appendices
attached to the Agreement in the Form of an Exchange of

This Regulation shall enter
into force on the 15th day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Union.

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

Done at Brussels, 18 February 2003.

For the Council

The President

N. CHRISTODOULAKIS

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ANNEX

Appendix I

List of products subject to double-checking without quantitative limits

Cold-rolled narrow strip of a width not exceeding 500 mm

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

7211 23 99

7211 29 50

7211 29 90

7211 90 90

Grain non-oriented electrical sheet

7211 23 91

7225 19 10

7225 19 90

7226 19 10

7226 19 30

7226 19 90

Grain-oriented electrical sheet

7226 11 90

Appendix II

Appendix III

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APÉNDICE IV — TILLÆG IV — ANLAGE IV — ΠΡΟΣΑΡΤΗΜΑ IV — APPENDIX IV — APPENDICE IV — APPEN-
DICE IV — AANHANGSEL IV — APÊNDICE IV — LISÄYS IV — TILLÄGG IV

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/BELGIË

IRELAND

Ministère des affaires économiques
Administration des relations économiques
Services Licences
Rue Général Leman 60
B-1040 Bruxelles
Télécopieur (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
Erhvervsministeriet
Vejlsøvej 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) 969 42 26

ΕΛΛΑ∆Α

Υπουργείο Εθνικής Οικονοµίας
Γενική Γραµµατεία ∆ιεθνών Σχέσεων
∆ιεύθυνση ∆ιεθνών Οικονοµικών Ροών
Κορνάρου 1
GR-105 63 Αθήνα
Φαξ (30 210) 32 86 094

ESPAÑA

Ministerio de Economía
Secretaría General de Comercio Exterior
Paseo de la Castellana, 162
E-28046 Madrid
Fax: (34) 91 563 18 23/(34) 91 349 38 31

FRANCE

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

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Import/Export Licensing, Block C
Earlsfort Centre
Hatch Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
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 35/59 93 26 36

LUXEMBOURG

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

NEDERLAND

Belastingdienst/Douane centrale dienst voor in- en uitvoer
Postbus 30003, Engelse Kamp 2
9700 RD Groningen
Nederland
Fax (31-50) 523 23 41

ÖSTERREICH

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit
Außenwirtschaftsadministration
Landstrasser Hauptstraße 55-57
A-1030 Wien
Fax (43-1) 711 00/83 86

PORTUGAL

Ministério das Finanças
Direcção-Geral das Alfândegas e dos Impostos Especiais
sobre o Consumo
Rua Terreiro do Trigo
Edifício da Alfândega da Lisboa
P-1140-060 Lisboa
Fax: (351-21) 881 42 61

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SUOMI/FINLAND

Tullihallitus/Tullstyrelsen
PL/PB 512
FIN-00101 Helsinki/Helsingfors
Faksi/Fax (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
TS23 2NF
United Kingdom
Fax: (44-1642) 53 35 57