Commission Regulation (EC) No 1915/2006 of 18 December 2006 continuing prior Community surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products originating in certain third countries
Date: 2006-12-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: import, iron and steel product, surveillance concerning imports

L 365/76

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

21.12.2006

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1915/2006

of 18 December 2006

continuing prior Community surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products originating
in certain third countries

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(4)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

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), 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 (2), and in particular Article
9 thereof,

After consultations with the Advisory Committees,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

By Regulation (EC) No 76/2002 (3)
the Commission
introduced prior Community surveillance of imports of
certain iron and steel products originating in third
countries. That Regulation was amended by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1337/2002 (4) so as to extend the
scope of
the surveillance and by Regulation (EC) No
2385/2002 (5) and Regulation (EC) No 469/2005 (6).

The Community’s
are not
available within the periods established by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1917/2000 (7).

statistics

external

trade

Although the situation has changed since the intro-
duction of surveillance in 2002, developments in the
world steel market continue to require a reliable and
quick information system on the future imports of the
Community.

(1) OJ L 349, 31.12.1994, p. 53. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2200/2004 (OJ L 374, 22.12.2004, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 67, 10.3.1994, p. 89. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 427/2003 (OJ L 65, 8.3.2003, p. 1).

(3) OJ L 16, 18.1.2002, p. 3. Regulation as last amended by Regulation

(EC) No 469/2005 (OJ L 78, 24.3.2005, p. 12).

(4) OJ L 195, 24.7.2002, p. 25.
(5) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 125.
(6) OJ L 78, 24.3.2005, p. 12.
(7) OJ L 229, 9.9.2000, p. 14. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1949/2005 (OJ L 312, 29.11.2005, p. 10).

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

Since 2003, China’s market has been the key driver of
the very important
increase in the demand for steel
products. However, China has been increasing its
production capacity at a very accelerated pace. China’s
production of crude steel has been increased from 129
million tonnes in 2000 to 349 million tonnes in 2005,
moving from a world share of 15,4 % to 36 % over the
same period, and further production capacities are being
added that could increase China’s capacity in 2006. EU
import from China totalled about 0,9 million tonnes in
2004 and 1,6 million tonnes in 2005. China was a net
importer of 15 million tonnes in 2004 but will become
a net exporter in 2006. It can be anticipated that this
trend of decreasing imports and increasing exports in
China will continue,
thereby releasing into the world
market important increased quantities of steel products
looking for a new market.

The most recent import statistics available for four major
product-types, namely flat products, long products, tubes
and pipes, and semi-finished products, showed for the
first half year of 2006 an average increase of 11 %
overall compared to the same period in 2005, reaching
18 % and 13 % respectively for flat and long products.
Total
imports was 26,2 million tonnes in 2005 as
compared to 20 million tonnes in 2002, showing a
total import increase for three years of 31 %.

the first

Analysis of
two quarters of 2006 reveals a
continued high level of imports, occurring within that
period, overall 29 % increase, whilst
figures for third
quarter of that year point to a further upward trend.

Furthermore, prices in the Community market, as they
are on the US market, continue to be high and are
generally between 20 % and 30 % higher than those
observed in Asian markets. This price differentiation is
likely to attract interest from third-country exporters and
during 2006 first signs of a lowering of the price has
been observed on the American and market and on the
market of some European countries.

Moreover, statistics on the employment of EU producers
show a marked decline, falling from 414 500 people in
2000 down to 404 700 in 2001, 390 200 in 2002,
383 800 in 2003 and 375 900 in 2004 and 347 000
in 2005, that is a decrease of about 16 % over five years.

21.12.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 365/77

(9)

(10)

recent

trends

in imports of

recent developments

steel
On the basis of
products, of
in the Chinese
market, of the accelerated pace of increasing imports,
of the high price differences between steel products in
the EU market and those on third markets and of the
already important job losses over recent years, a threat of
injury to Community producers for the purposes of
Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 3285/94 can
therefore be deemed to exist.

the interests of

advanced statistical

Thus,
the Community require that
imports of certain steel products should continue to be
to prior Community surveillance in order to
subject
information permitting
provide
trends. Taking into account
rapid analysis of
and
expected developments mentioned above,
the
taking
steel
into consideration that other major
producing countries have put into place or prolonged
similar surveillance systems until 2009, it is appropriate
that
that system should continue exceptionally until
31 December 2009.

import

(11) Moreover, so as to minimise unnecessary constraints and
not disturb excessively the activities of companies close
to the borders,
it is desirable to increase the scope of
small quantities which are excluded from the scope of
the net weight of
the prior
imports that should be excluded from the application
of
increased to 2 500
kilograms.

this Regulation should be

surveillance. Therefore,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 76/2002, as modified by Regulations (EC)
No 1337/2002, (EC) No 2385/2002 and (EC) No 469/2005, is
amended as follows:

1. In Article 1, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following text:

‘3.
Imports whose net weight does not exceed 2 500
kilograms are excluded from the application of this Regu-
lation.’;

2. In Article 6, the date ‘31 December 2006’ is replaced by the

date ‘31 December 2009’.

Article 2

As regards release for free circulation in Bulgaria and Romania
as of 1 January 2007 of the steel products covered by this
Regulation and shipped before 1 January 2007, a surveillance
document is not required provided that the goods have been
shipped before 1 January 2007. The presentation of the bill of
lading or another transport document deemed to be equivalent
by the Community authorities proving the shipment date is
required.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publi-
cation in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(12)

It is desirable for this Regulation to enter into force on
the day of its publication in order to collect the data as
soon as possible,

By derogation, Article 2 shall enter into force only subject to
and on the date of the entry into force of the Treaty concerning
the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.

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

Done at Brussels, 18 December 2006.

For the Commission

Peter MANDELSON
Member of the Commission