CELEX: 51976PC0266
Language: en
Date: 1976-06-03
Title: Proposal for a (PUBLIC) COUNCIL DECISION increasing certain of the quotas for imports into the Benelux countries and into Ireland from Romania laid down by Council Decision 75/788/EEC. Proposal for a (CONFIDENTIAL) COUNCIL DECISION amending the (confidential) Council Decision of 18 December 1975 concerning the implementation of Council Decision 75/788/EEC. (submitted by the Commission to the Council)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (76) 266
Vol. 1976/9008
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 ---pagebreak---                                                             COM(76)266 final (m"
     COMMISSION                                             Brussels , 3rd June 1976
       Or THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                      ,                                    CONFIDENTIAL
       Secretoriat
                                     Proposal for a
                              (PUBLIC ) COUNCIL DECISION
                    increasing certain of the quotas for imports into
                    the Benelux countries and into Ireland from Romania
                    laid down by Council Decision 75/788/EEC .
                                     Proposal for a
                              ( CONFIDENTIAL) COUNCIL DECISION
                    amending the (confidential) Council Decision of
                    18 December 1975 concerning the implementation of
                    Council Decision 75/788 /EEC.
                   (submitted by the Commission to the Council )
      CCM(76 ) 266 final
 ---pagebreak---                 EXPLANATORY              MEMORANDUM
1.      When the unilateral arrangements for imports into the Member States
 from State-trading countries were adopted for 1976 on 18 December last year ,
 there was no increase in the ( public ) bilateral quotas or the ( confidential )
overall ceilings for imports into the Benelux countries compared with the
1975 levels1 ^.
2.      In accordance with Article 3 of Council Decision 75/210/EEC of 27
March 1975       unilateral import arrangements in respect of State-trading
            2)
countries , the Belgian Government , on behalf of the three Benelux coun­
tries , asked on 23 April for certain bilateral quotas and overall ceilings
to be increased .
        The increases in question are generally speaking fairly small , particul­
arly in the case of textile products , for which they amount to no more than
5/& ( by value ). This rate of increase is about the same size as that of the
quota increases adopted by the Council last December in respect of textile
products for other Member States . These increases are also very small in
absolute value terms .
        The amendments requested by the Benelux countries do not therefore
pose any particular problems from the economic viewpoint . Moreover , no object­
ion was raised by the other Member States at the time of the Consultation
procedure initiated on 27 April 1976 pursuant to Article 4(l ) of Decision
75/210/EEC .
3.      Similarly , under the same provisions mentioned in point 2 above , Ire­
land requested on 29 April 1976 that new import quotas be created and that
import quotas included in Council Decision 75/788/EEC be increased in respect
of certain State-trading countries .
        These amendments are requested by Ireland for the following reasons :
        At the request of the Commission ,: Ireland replaced in 1976 its global
quotas for all the State-trading ( and other third countries ) together , by
bilateral quotas in respect of eaoh of the State-trading countries individually.
l ) For public Decision 75/ 788/EEC see OJ No . 332 of 29.12.1975 and for the
    confidential Decision see Doc . l/187/l E ( COMER 24 rev. l ) of 9 . 12.1975 .
2 ) ÛJ No . L 99 , 21.4.1975 .
 ---pagebreak--- To determine these bilateral quotas , Ireland based itself on the average
 imports from these countries during the period 1971 "to 1973 > these being the
 only complete statistics available at that time . However , the quotas for
 textile products were found to be considerably lower than the level of
 imports reached for the same products during the period 1974/75 * This resulted
 in protests directed at the Irish Government by economio operators who
noticed that the new import arrangement , adopted by the Community for 1976 ,
was , without reason , more restrictive than that existing in 1975 *
       In order to remedy this situation , the Irish Government now requests ,
by means of the proposed amendments , an adaptation of the' current official
quota arrangement to the actual import flows registered in 1974-75-
       The amendments in question are therefore purely of a formal nature ,
since no real increase of imports for 1976 in comparison with last year is
envisaged .
       No objection from the Member States was formulated in respect of these
amendments which were the subject of a consultation , held on 11 May 1976
xinder Art . 4(l ) of Decision 75/210/EEC.
4.     The amendments requested by the Benelux and Ireland can therefore be
adopted by the Commission under the normal procedure , with the exception of
those concerning textile products covered by the Arrangement regarding the
International Trade in textiles , and relating to Romania.
       The Council authorised Community negotiations with Romania on textile
matters on 15 March 1975 * In accordance with the first indent of Article 7
of Decision 75/210/EEC , any amendment after that date to the arrangements
for imports of textile products into the Member States from Romania must be
decided by the Council , the only exceptions being those cases expressly
referred to in the said Article . It is for this reason that the two pro­
posals for decisions annexed hereto ( Annexes I and II ) are being presented
to the Council .
       ( Pending these decisions , the Benelux countries have requested that the
normal procedure for the amendment by the Commission of the other quotas and
ceilings should be suspended so that all the amendments may enter into force
at the same time .)
5.     Pursuant to the confidential Decision of 18 December 1975 , "the Benelux
countries may exceed , in respect of a given produot from a given country ,
the corresponding quota for that produot and country which appears in the
published quota lists , on the sole condition that its total imports of this
 ---pagebreak--- product from all "the European or Asian State-trading countries do not exoeed
 the amount of the overall ceiling fixed for the products in question in the
 same confidential Decision .
       The Benelux countries may therefore exceed in 197^ the bilateral quotas
 for textile products from Romania ("by using any quantities remaining under
 the corresponding quotas for other State-tracking countries ) without being
 obliged - ar' the other Member States are - to give prior notification at
 Community level . In view of the fact that Community negotiations with this
third country are currently in progress , this means that , even if the Council
were to refuse for economic or tactical reasons any increase in the other
Member States * quotas for textile products from Romania , the Benelux countries
could , however , appreciably increase their imports from Romania by using
their overall ceilings , thereby following a commercial policy towards this
country which deviates from the guidelines laid down by the Council .
       This situation therefore poses a problem as regards the uniform applic­
ation of the spirit of the said Article 7 » as regards equality of treatment
for the Member States in the context of Community procedures , and in partic­
ular as regards the coherence of the Community* s commercial policy towards
Romania in the textile sector .
       In order to eliminate these various problems , steps 'should be taken
to ensure that in the particular case of Romania and in all other cases of
Community negotiations with a Stat^-trading country , the Benelux countries
should be subject to the provisions of Article 7 of Decision 75/210/EEC as
regards the geographical allocation of its overall ceilings .
       To this end , the confidential Decision of 18 December should be supple­
mented by an arrangement whereby , in the event of Community negotiations with
a State-trading country , the total imports from that third country able to
be authorised by the Benelux countries during the current year within each
overall ceiling may not exceed the total imports from the same third country
authorised within the same overall ceilings during the previous year . The
result of this would be that if the Benelux countries wished to exceed these
limits they would have to initiate the Community prior notification and
consultation procedure"^. (On this point see Article 2 of the draft Council
Decision which forms Annex II ).
l ) It should also be remembered that an arrangement with the same objective
    is contained in the draft confidential decision on outward processing
    traffic in the context of economic cooperation measures between the Federal
    Republic of Germany and certain State-trading countries , which is in the
    process of being adopted by the Council .
 ---pagebreak--- 6.     The Commission therefore proposes that the Council adopt the following
decisions :
- the ( public ) Decision increasing certain of the import quotas given in
   Annex Vl(a ) to Council Decision 75/788/EEC3 ( Benelux-Romania); and secondly ,
   replacing Annex Vl/e of the same Decision ( Ireland-Romania).
- the ( confidential ) Decision amending the ( confidential ) Council Decision
   of 18 December 1975 concerning the implementation of the above Decision
   75/788 /EEC .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                      ANNEX         I
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       proposal for a (public) Council Decision amending certain import quotas
                    into the Benelux countries and into Ireland from Romania laid
       down by           Decision 75/788/EEC
       THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
       Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
       and in particular Article 113 thereof ,
       Having regard to Council Decision 75/210/EEC of 27 March 1975 on unilateral
       import arrangements in respect of state-trading countries^, and in particu­
       lar the first indent of Article 7 thereof ,
        Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
       Whereas , in accordance with Article 3 of the said Decision , the Belgian .
       Government ,on behalf of the three Benelux countries , and the Irish Government
       have        proposed that there should be amendments to certain of the
       quotas for imports into the Benelux countries and into Ireland laid down
       by Council Decision 75/TBS/EEC of 18 December 1Q75 amending for l?7o the
       import quotas laid down by Decision 75/210/EEC ( 2) ;
       Whereas some of the amendments proposed refer to import quotas laid down
       in respect of Romania for products covered by the Arrangement regarding
       International Trade in Textiles (MFA);
       Whereas on 15 March 1975 "the Council authorized Community negotiations
       to be opened with Romania in respect of textile products covered by the
       MFA ; whereas , therefore , the amendments to the import quotas concerned
       can only be adopted by means of a Council Decision, in accordance with
       Article 113 of the Treaty ;
( 1 ) OJ No L 99 , 21.4.1975 , p. 7
( 2) OJ No L 332, 29» 12. 1975 , P. 1
 ---pagebreak---                                         2                                         ANNEX I
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Whereas the amendments proposed are not          such           as to hinder the
 gradual standardisation of the import arrangements applied in the Member
 States , nor to affect the proper functioning of the common market ;
whereas , therefore the requests from Benelux and Ireland should be granted
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:       ''
                               Article I
 The amounts of the Benelux import quotas given in Annex VI (a) to Council
Decision 75/788/EEC an<l se"t ou"t i*1 Annex I hereto are hereby replaced
"by the figures set out in the latter Annex,
                               Article 2
Annex Vl(e ) to the said Decision         hereby        replaced by Annex VI ( e )
 contained   in Annex II  hereto .
                               Article       3
This Decision is addressed to the Benelux countries and Ireland.
                                                   Done at Brussels
                                                  For the Council
                                                     The President
 ---pagebreak---                                                       -3-                                                           ANNEX I
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                                                                                          I _i li^'iiri;' ^ >if N m 11
                                                                                                              IGIUI S SS
N° of the   GCT heading                                 Description                              Amounts in Bfrs
 ceiling         N°     " I
        8     ex 53.11
              ex 56.07
                               Tissus de laine ou de poils fins, à l'exclusion des tissus
                               pour couvertures non visées sous la position 62.01
              ex 58.04
                               Tissus de fibres textiles synthétiques et artificielles dis­
                               continues contenant moins de 85 % en poids de fibres
                               textiles synthétiques ou artificielles mélangés princi­                 1.785.000
                               palement ou seulement de laine ou de poils fins k
                               l'exclusion des tissus écrus                ;
                               Velours, peluches, tissus bouclés et tissus de chenille,
                               de laine, de poils fins ou grossiers
              ex 51.04
                               Tissus de fibres synthétiques ou artificielles continues,
              ex 55.09         à l'exclusion de : tissus écrus et imprimés, crêpes et
                              tissus pour bandages pneumatiques
              ex 56.07
                               Autres tissus de coton, contenant au moins 85 % en
                               poids de coton, à l'exclusion de : tissus écrus non mer­              ll.655.OOO
                               cerisés et tissus imprimés
                               Tissus de fibres textiles synthétiques ou artificielles
                               discontinues autres que mélangés principalement ou
                               seulement de laine ou de poils fins à l'exclusion de :
                              tissus écrus et imprimés et crêpes •       |
      –10 "   ex 51 .04
                    .
                               Tissus imprimés de fibres textiles synthétiques ou arti­
              ex 55,.09       ficielles continues, à l'exclusion des crêpes
                              Autres tissus de coton contenant au moins 85 % en                       5.040.000
                            . poids de cotons imprimés
              ex 56.07        •Tissus imprimés de fibres textiles synthétiques ou arti­
                              ficielles discontinues, autres que mélangés principale­
                               ment ou seulement de laine ou de poils fins, à l'exclu­
                              sion des crêpes
 ---pagebreak---                      ANNEX    VI   - ROMANIA
                                           •   I
                                         '   ·1
                           ( e ) Ireland
         CCT
N°                  Description                       Quantity
        heading                                            %
          Ne
                                                              . ft.
1        51.04  Woven fabrics of man-made fibres    )
                 ( continuous ), including woven
                fabrics of monofil or strip         I.
                falling within heading n° 5 1.01
                or 51.02                            j124,500 yd2
         55.09  Other woven fabrics of cotton
                                                    )
                                                    )
     ex  56.07  Woven fabrics of man-made fibres    )
                ( discontinuous or waste )          )
2
   •
         54.05  Woven fabrics of flax and ramie       24,000 yd2
3    ex  58,04  Certain woven pile fabrics and           300 yd2
                chenille fabrics
                                                            4
4    ex  59.08  Certain textile fabrics , impreg-
                nated , coated , covered or
                laminated with preparations of           700 yd2
                cellulose derivatives or of other
                                                 •
                artificial plastio materials
5    ex 59.12   Textil'e fabrics , otherwise impre-
                gnated or coated ; painted canvas     11,800 yd2
                being theatrical scenery , studio
                back cloths or the like
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                 ANNEX II
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proposal for a ( confidential ) Council Decision amending the ( confi­
dential )            Decision of 18 December 1975 concerning the imple­
mentation of             Decision 75/788/EEC .
THE COUNCIL OP THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
and in particular Article 113 thereof ,
Having regard to Council Decision 75/210/EEC of 27 March 1975 on unila­
teral import arrangements in respect of state-trading countries^, and
in particular the first indent of Article 7 thereof ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
Whereas , in accordance with Article 3 of the said Decision , the Belgian
Government has proposed on behalf of the three Benelux countries that
there should be amendments iocertain of the overall ceilings for imports
into the Benelux countries laid down by the confidential Council
Decision of 18 December 1975 concerning the implementation of Council
Decision 75/210/EEC on unilateral import arrangements in respect of
state-trading countries , as amended by Council Decision 75/788/EEC
Whereas some of the amendments proposed refer to overall import
ceilings laid down in respect of European state-trading countries , thus
including Romania ;    whereas these overall ceilings refer to products
covered by the Arrangement regarding International Trade in Textiles
( MFA),
Whereas on 15 March 1975 "the Council authorized Community negotiations
to be opened with Eomania in respect of the textile products in
question ;   whereas , therefore , amendments to           "the overall import
1 ) OJ     N° L 99 , 21.4.1975 , P. 7
2 ) See Doc . I/I87/I E/75 ( COMER 24 Rev. l ) of 9.12.75
 ---pagebreak---                                                 - 2 -                                           ANNEX II
                                                               C; irV k?r-py J 1 &»> &nia
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        ceilings concerned can only be adopted by means of a Council Decision
        in accordance with Article 113 of "the Treaty ,
        Whereas , moreover , provision should be made whereby from the moment that the
opening of Community negotiations with a state-trading country is authorised ,
        the amount of imports able to be granted by the Benelux countries
        under the overall ceilings in respect of that country may only be increased
        over the 1975 level                in accordance with the procedures provided laid
       down in the said Article 7 »
        HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION :
                                                                                                                  O
                                            Article     1
        The amounts of the overall import ceilings for the Benelux countries
        given in Annex I to the Council Decision of 18 December 1975 an(* set
        out below are hereby increased as follows :
                  ι
         Iï° du                                                                    I-.ontants
                    1T° T rJ0      I j)cnominat ion des Produits
          plafond
                  ....
                    51.04 ox A| 'i'isaus de fibres textiles
                                 :5j uvnthetiquen et artificiol-
                                   I les continues (v co:n;)ris
                                     les tissus de monofils ou
                                     (le lamés des n°s 51.01 ou
                                     51.02 ),, a l' exclusion des
                                     tissus pour banda,-^es pneu­            29.83i.55O FB
                                     matiques , des crêpes et des
                                     tissus écrus :
                                     - T issus imprimas :
                                        Cy compris 55.09 B ex I ,
                                         A ex I , ex II ; 5^.07 A
                                         ex I , ex II . ex B)
         10         53.11 ex A Tissus de laine ou de poils
                             «x b fltn;, à l' exclusion dos
                                     tissus Tjour couvertures                20.414.100 FB
                                     (y conprir. j'S.O'f A ex I ,
                                      ex II , ex B et ex 5U.O4I
                               -.4           . __     .
 ---pagebreak---                           Article 2
The following subparagraph is hereby added to Article 1 of the Decision
referred to in Article 1 :
" 3 . Once , however , the opening of Community negotiations with a
state-trading country has been authorized , the amount of the import
authorisations which may be granted by the Benelux countries in respect
of that country under each of the overall ceilings set out in Annexes
I and II may not exceed the volume of the import authorisations
granted in respect of the same third country under the corresponding
overall ceiling for 1975 «
      Any authorisation exceeding the limits referred to in the pre­
ceding subparagraph shall be subject to the provisions of Article 7
of Decision 75/210/EEC ."
                          Article 3
This Decision is addressed to the Member States .
                Done at
                                         For the Council
                                          The President
                                 \