CELEX: 51979PC0549
Language: en
Date: 1979-10-22
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) opening, allocating and providing for the administration of a Community tariff quota for newsprint falling within subheading No 48.01 A of the Common Customs Tariff (1980) and extending this quota to include certain other types of paper; (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (79) 549
Vol. 1979/0189
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
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concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique
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p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003
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In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic
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In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1.
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                    COM(79 ) 549 final
                                                    Brussels , 22 October 1979
                                               . \
                              /              ?
                             I­
                                                        X
                                                      '=!
                                Proposal for a
                         COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
opening , allocating and providing for the administration of a Community
tariff quota for newsprint falling within subheading No 48.01 A of the
Common Customs Tariff ( 1980 ) and extending this quota to include certain
                           other types of paper ;
              ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
C0M(79 ) 549 final
 ---pagebreak---                          • ■ EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM                    ,    ■
     A the Last multilateral GATT negotiati ons , the Community undertook
     to pen annually a nil duty Community tariff quota for 1,500,000
 . metric tons'of newsprint' fal ling within subheadi ng' No AS . 01 A
     of the -Common Customs Tariff .           . y
     Furthermore , the Community informed the Nordic delegation :( text
     Nord 4 of document NC6<67>44 rev. > that it had                           decided to 'ooen
     a ni I duty tariff quota             year ui.dor Article 28 of the Treaty
     pf Rome if it were established that all possibilities of supply -
    on the internal market of the Community had been , exhausted during
    a given trading year and after having entirely used up the nil
    duty quota bound under' GATT .
                               »   * •    "               »          '                       »
    Judging from market trends over' the . past few years it is clear
    already that the 1980 Community tariff quota must be greater than
    the 1,500 , .000 metric - tons originally established .                         This is why 'the
    Commission considers that it can propose the opening of a tariff
    quote for 2.7 00.000 metric tons . . 'Hi is - - amount is based on'first
    estimates ,, so that a review of the situation during the course
    of the year is nattrtrally not' excluded .
                   tl                                '                                ' '
    The tariff quota i s al located in accordance with tjne method which
    has .normally been . applied : allocation is based on past import
                      •*         »           »          .      '                ■     • '          «
    figures and on estimated for the quota year in question . '
 .   • •                      •        :.          •         -   - -       . ■      .          : •
    Furthermore , in view of the size of the quota proposed from the
    start , the' Commission considers that it would be contrary to the
   'Community nature of this quota to div.i'de it up* into shares
    allocated definitively to all " the Member States .                           It therefore
    proposes a^system of administration based on the institution.
( of a Community reserve limited, to 7                 . This system of allocation
    and administration was , moreover ,, unanimously approved by
    ail Member States at' the :time of the opening of the tariff
   quota for previous years, •                             :             :                 '
 ---pagebreak---                               - 2 -
3. In the expectation of a definitive decision on the problem of
   the watermark criteria , contained in the additional note to
   Chapter .48 /
       i- 8        proposed to renew for 1980 the possibility for
   the Member States to count against the quota concerned other
                                        »
   types of paper which correspond, leaving aside the criteria of
   watermarks , to the definition of newsprint to be found in the
   additional note to Chapter 48 .                            •
 ---pagebreak---                                                     Proposal for a
                                  COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No                   / 79
                                               o£                     '
              opening, allocating and providing for the administration of a Community tariff
              quota for newsprint falling within subheading 48.01 A of the Common Customs
               Tariff (1980) and extending this quota to include certain other types of paper
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN                                whereas, for the last three years for which complete
COMMUNITIES.                                               statistics Are available, the imports of each of the
                                                           Member States amounted to the following percentages
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European      of total imports of the products in question :
Economic Community, and in particular Articles 28                                                     1976      1977      1978
and 113 thereof,                                           Bénélux                                   12-55     14-41      14 . 78
                                                           Denmark                                     5-92      5-43      6.55
                                                           Germany                                   26-90     27-85      25.28
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,          France                                   11-50     11-82      11.12
                                                            Ireland                                    2-03      1-85       1 . 94
Whereas the Community has undertaken to open an             Italy                                      0-50      0-49      0.89
annual duty-free Community tariff quota of 1 500 000        United Kingdom                           40-60     38-15 ;    39 . 44
tonnes of newsprint falling within subheading 48.01
A '»
                                                             whereas, in view of the above and of the foreseeable
Whereas, in view of present Community production            trend on the market in newsprint, in general, and of
capacity, that quantity is insufficient to meet antici­      production in particular during 1986 ,the initial quota
pated import requirements ; whereas provision should         may be allocated approximately in tht following
                                                             percentages :
therefore be madf for an autonomous supplementary
quota which, according to the estimates submitted,
may be fixed at present at 1 200 000 tonnes ; whereas
 the fact that this figure has been adopted for the auto­            Bénélux                      13.85
 nomous supplementary quota does not rule out a re­                  Denmark                       7.39
 adjustment during the quota period ; whereas a                      Germany                      27.33
 Community tariff quota should therefore be opened                   France                       10.71
                                                                     Ireland *                     1 . 87
 for 19 00 for a total quantity of 2700 000 tonnes of
 thr product in question ;                                           Italy                         i.ii
                                                                     United Kingdom            .. 37.74
 Whereas provision should be made for extending the
 tariff quota in question to include certain types of
 paper fulfilling all the conditions set out in the Addi­    whereas, to take account of import trends for the
 tional Note to Chapter *8 except those relating to          product concerned, the quota should be divided into
 watermarks ;
                                                             two tranches, the first being allocated among the
                                                             Member States and the second held as a reserve to
 Whereas equal and continuous access to the quota            cover subsequently the requirements of Member States
 should be ensured for all Community importers and           which have exhausted their initial shares ; whereas, to
 the rate of duty for the tariff quota should be applied     give importers some degree of certainty and yet
 without interruption to ail imports of the product in       enable Community production to be disposed of on
 question until the quota is exhausted ; whereas in the      satisfactory terms, the fir=t.tranche of the quota should
 light of these principles, arrangements for the utiliza­    be fixed at about 93 % of the full amount :
 tion of the Community tariff quota based on an alloca­
  tion among Member States would seem to be
  consistent with the Community nature of the quota ;
 whereas, in order that it may correspond as closely as      Whereas Member States may exhaust their initial
  possible to the actual trend of the market in the          shares at different rates ; whereas to provide for this
  product in question, allocation of the quota should be     eventuality and avoid disruption of supplies any
  in proportion to the requirements of the Member            Member State which has almost used up its initial
  States as calculated by reference to statistics on         share should draw an        additional' share   from     the
  imports from third countries during a representative       reserve ; whereas each time its additional share is
  reference period and to the economic outlook for the       almost exhausted a Member State . should draw a
  year covered by the quota in question ;                    further share, and so on as many times as the reserve
 ---pagebreak---                                                             - 2 -
allows ; whereas the Initial and additional shares                2.     A first tranche of 2500000 tonnes shall be allo­
should be valid until the end of the quota period ;               cated ; . ong the Member States. Member States'
whereas this form of administration requires close                shi>j"2s, v.hich subject to Article 5 shall be valid from 1
collaboration between the Mcnibcr States and the                   Tanurry until 3 ! December 1900, shall be as follows :
Commission , which latter must be in a position to
keep account of the extent to which the quota has                                                          (in tonnes)
been used up and to inform the Member States accord­                       F>enelux                        346    250
ingly ;                                                                    Dcnmark                          184   750
                                                                           Germany                         683    250
Whereas if at a given date in the quota period a                           France                          267    750
considerable quantity of a Member State's initial share                    Ireland                           46   750
remains unused it is essential , to prevent a part of the                  Italy                              27  750
Community tariff quota from remaining unused in                            United Kingdom                  943    500 .
one Member State while it could be used in others,
that, such State should return a significant proportion
thereof to the reserve ;                                          3.     The second tranche, of 200 QM tonnes, shall
                                                                  constitute the reserve.
Whereas, since the Kingdom of Belgium, the
Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg are united within and jointly represented
by the Benelux Economic Union , any transaction in
respcct of the administration of the shares allocated to
that economic union may be carried out by any one                                            Article 3
of its members,
                                                                   1.     If 90 % or more of a Member State s initial share
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :                                      as fixed in Article 2 (2), or of that share minus the
                                                                   portion returned to the reserve where Article 5 has
                                                                   been applied, has been used up it shall forthwith, by
                          Article Î                                notifying the Commission , draw a second share, to the
                                                                  extent that the reserve so permits, equal to 3 5 % of its
1.     During the period 1 January to 31 December                  initial snare, rounded up as necessary to the next
190 U a Community tariff quota of 2700 000 tonnes                 whoie number.
shall be opened in respect of newsprint falling within
subheading 48.01 A of the Common Customs
Tariff ( ' )■
                                                                   2. .   If, after its initial share has been exhausted ,
2. Member States may charge against this tariff                    90 % or more of the second share drawn by a
quota the other types of paper complying with the                 Member Slate has been used up, that Member State
definition of newsprint contained in the Additional                shall, in the manner and to the extent provided in-
Note to Chapter 48 , . except as regards the criteria              paragraph 5 , draw a third share equal to 7-5 % of its
governing wafermarks.                                              initial share.
3.     Imports of newsprint shall not be charged
against this tariff quota if they are already free of              3.     If, after its second share has been exhausted,
customs duties ur.der other preferential tariff treat­             SC % or more of the third share drawn by a Member
ment. Furthermore, imports of any other paper                      State has been used up, that Member State shall, in
referred to in paragraph 2 enjoying duty-free exemp­               the manner and to the extent provided in paragraph 1 ,
tion under the said tariff quota shall not be charged              draw a fourth share equai to the third.
against the indicative ceilings fixed under certain free
trade agreements.
4. The Common Customs Tariff duty shail be                          * his procedure shall apply until the reserve is
 totally suspended within the limits of the above quota.           exhausted .
                          Article 2
                                                                   4. Notwithstanding paragraphs I , 2 and 3, Member
  5.   The Community tariff quota referred to in                   Slates rnay riraw lesser shares than those specified in
 Article 1 shall be divided into two tranches.                     those paragraphs if th<?re are grounds for believing
                                                                   that those specified may not be used in full. They
 (') Entry under this subheading is subject to conditions to be    shfil inform the Commission of ihtir reasons for
     deunniried by the competent authorities.                      app'ying this provision.
 ---pagebreak---                                                        - 3 -
                        Article 4                                                    Article 7
Additional shares drawn pursuant to Article 3 shall be       1.    Member States shall take all appropriate
valid until 31 December 1980 .                               measures to ensure that additional shares drawn
                                                             pursuant to Article 3 are opened in such a way that
                        Article 5                            imports may be charged without interruption against
                                                             their accumulated share of the Community quota.
The Member States shall return to the reserve, not
later than 1 October 1980, the unused portion of their       2. Member States shall take all measures necessary
initial share which, on 15 September 1S{30. is >n            to ensure that the types of paper referred to in Article
excess of 20 % of the initial amount. They may return        1 (2) included in this tariff quota are in fact intended
a greater portion if there are grounds for believing         for the printing of newspapers, weekly papers or other
that such portion may not be used in full.                   periodicals of heading No 49.02, published at least 10
                                                             times per year.
Member States shall, not later than 1 October 19 8Q
notify the Commission of the total quantities of the         3.     Member States shall ensure that importers of the
products in question imported up to and including 15         products in question established in their territory have
                                                             fre * access to the shares allocated to it
September iS60 and charged against the Community
tariff quota and of any portion of their inkkl shares        4. The extent to which a Member State has used up
returned to the reserve.                                     its shares shall be determined on the basis of imports
                                                             o? the products in question entered with the customs
                        Article 6                            authorities for home use.
The Commission shall keep an account of the shares                                   Article 8
opened by the Member States pursuant to Articles 2
and 3 and shall , as soon as it has been notified, inform    On receipt of a request from the Commission the
each Member State of the extent to which the reserve         Member States shall notify it of the importations
has been used up.                                            charged against its share.                      . .
It shall inform the Member States, not later than 5                                  Article 9
October 1 980, of the amount still in reserve after
amounts have been returned thereto pursuant to               Member States and the Commission shall cooperate
Article 5.                                                   closely to ensure that this Regulation is complied
                                                             with.
It shall ensure that when a quantity exhausting the
reserve is drawn, the amount so drawn does not                                      Article 10
exceed the balance available, and to this end shall
notify the amount of that balance to the Member State        This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January
making the last drawing.                                     1980 .
             This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
             States.
              Done at Brussels.
                                                                          For the Council
                                                                           The President
 ---pagebreak--- FICHE FINANCIERE
1 . Ligne budgétaire concernée : Chap . 12 ert' . 1*.0
                                 »,
2 . Base juridique ; articles 28 et 113 du traité
3 . Intitulé de la mesure tarifaire 2
       Proposition de règlement du Conseil portant ouverture , répartition et mode
       de gestion du contingent tarifaire communautaire de papier journal de la
       sous -position 48.01 du TDC et étendant le bénéfice de ce. même contingent
       à certains autres papiers ( année 1980 )
4 . Objectif :
       Respect des engagements contractés au GATT et assurer la couverture
       des besoins de la Communauté en papier journal .
5 . Mode de calcul î
     - N° du T . D.C.   '                 î 48.01 A et ex 48.01 F
     - Volume du /ibes contingente# ) - 2.700.000 tonnes
     - Droits à appliquer                 : 0 I      '
     - Droits du T . D.C.                 : 6,7 et il s 6 % ( 3,3 et 6 % pour AELE )
6 . Perte de recettes :                                                   t
       Prix moyen à la tonne : 362 UCET
       Valeur des 2.700.000 tonnes : 977.400.000 UCE                                '
              Importations sous le 48.01 A (- 17% ) = 166.158.000 UCE
              Importations sous le 48.01 F (- 83%) = 811.242.000 UCE
            -                         '           •        . 'y   •    .        ,
   : Perte : ■
          £8.01 A : 166.158.000 UCE , dont                    '     ■ ■ '         '
                          AELE ( 74 % ) = 122.956.920 UCE x 3,3 % .=            4.057.578 UCE
                          pays tiers        43.201.080 UCE x 6,7 1 =\           2.894.472 UCE
       ex 48.01 F : 811.242.000 UCE , dont
                          AELE ( 74,5 % ) = 604.375.250 UCE x 6 % « - '       36.252.517 UCE
                          pays tiers         206.856.7:0 UCE x 11,6 % =       23.996.538 UCE
                                                                            •  67.21 1 . 105 UCE
     Par rapport à l' année 1979 , diminution de ? pertes de
          85.000.000 - 67.211.105 UCE « 17.7S8.895 UCE                        •