METHOD OF CALCULATING IN THEIR NATIONAL CURRENCIES THE AMOUNTS WHICH THEY OWE OR ARE OWED . THESE AMOUNTS, CALCULATED IN UNITS OF ACCOUNT, ARE IMMEDIATELY CONVERTED INTO NATIONAL CURRENCIES . THUS THE UNDERTAKINGS' CONTRIBUTIONS, EVEN IF THEY WERE CALCULATED IN UNITS OF ACCOUNT, ARE IN FACT ONLY DETERMINED IN NATIONAL CURRENCIES .
THE QUESTION THEN ARISES AT WHAT TIME THE CALCULATION OF BOTH THE AMOUNTS OF THE EQUALIZATION CONTRIBUTIONS AND PAYMENTS AND THE RESULTING CONVERSION INTO NATIONAL CURRENCIES OF THE AMOUNTS IN UNITS OF ACCOUNTS MUST BE EFFECTED .
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE AN EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE CHARGES ARISING OUT OF THE IMPORTATION OF FERROUS SCRAP FROM THIRD COUNTRIES THE EQUALIZATION SCHEME OPERATED ON THE BASIS OF ACCOUNTING PERIODS, USUALLY OF ONE MONTH, SO THAT ONE EQUALIZATION PRICE WAS ADOPTED FOR EACH PERIOD, AND THE EQUALIZATION PAYMENTS MADE DURING THIS PERIOD WERE CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF THIS EQUALIZATION PRICE . WHEN THIS HAD BEEN DONE THE CHARGE RESULTING FROM THE SAID PAYMENTS, WHICH VARIED CONSIDERABLY FROM ONE ACCOUNTING PERIOD TO ANOTHER, WAS LEVIED ON ALL UNDERTAKINGS SUBJECT TO THE LEVY IN PROPORTION TO THE VOLUME OF THEIR PURCHASES OF FERROUS SCRAP WHETHER IMPORTED FROM OUTSIDE OR ORIGINATING WITHIN THE COMMON MARKET . IN THIS WAY IN EACH ACCOUNTING PERIOD IT WAS ARRANGED THAT THE COST PRICE OF IMPORTED FERROUS SCRAP FOR ALL UNDERTAKINGS WAS THE SAME AS THE AVERAGE PURCHASE PRICE OF FERROUS SCRAP BOUGHT ON THE INTERNAL MARKET . AS THE CONTRIBUTION PER METRIC TON OF FERROUS SCRAP VARIES FROM ONE ACCOUNTING PERIOD TO ANOTHER IT IS NECESSARY TO FIX THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO BE PAID ON THE BASIS OF THE PARITY OF THE UNITY OF ACCOUNT IN FORCE DURING THE SAID PERIODS .
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AS THE EQUALIZATION SCHEME CONSISTS BASICALLY ON THE ONE HAND OF A CHARGE ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PRICE OF IMPORTED FERROUS SCRAP AND THE PRICE INSIDE THE COMMON MARKET AND ON THE OTHER HAND OF THE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF THIS CHARGE AMONG UNDERTAKINGS CONSUMING SCRAP IN PROPORTION TO THEIR CONSUMPTION IT WOULD BE WRONG TO ADOPT A RATE OF EXCHANGE FOR THE CALCULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF THE OPERATION DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE ADOPTED FOR THE CALCULATIONS REQUIRED FOR THE SECOND STAGE .
THE METHOD ADOPTED DOES NOT INFRINGE THE PROHIBITION ON DISCRIMINATION . AN EQUAL APPORTIONMENT OF CHARGES PRESUPPOSES THE AVOIDANCE OF VARIATIONS IN CURRENCY PARITIES BY THE ADOPTION FOR ALL UNDERTAKINGS OF THE SAME PERIOD OF REFERENCE DURING WHICH THEIR DEBITS AND CREDITS CALCULATED IN UNITS OF ACCOUNT ARE CONVERTED AT THE SAME TIME INTO NATIONAL CURRENCIES . THE ADOPTION OF A SYSTEM BASED ON THE DATE OF PAYMENT OR ON THE DATE ON WHICH THE ENFORCEABLE NATURE OF THE CLAIM WAS ESTABLISHED WOULD LEAD TO THE DANGER THAT THE PARITY APPLICABLE COULD VARY ACCORDING TO THE CONDUCT OF THE UNDERTAKINGS CONCERNED OR OF THE HIGH AUTHORITY AND THAT THERE WOULD BE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST UNDERTAKINGS OF THE SAME COUNTRY WHICH HAD PAID THEIR CONTRIBUTION EITHER EARLIER OR LATER