CELEX: 51983PC0081
Language: en
Date: 1983-02-21
Title: Draft COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) opening, allocating and administering a Community tariff quota for certain grades of ferro-chromium, falling within subheading ex 73.02 E I of the Common Customs Tariff (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (83) 081
Vol. 1983/0028
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
Conformément au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983,
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit
règlement.
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
Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243,
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983,
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. September 2003
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.
 ---pagebreak--- C O M M IS S IO N OF THE E U R O P E A N C O M M U N ITIE S
                                                                        con<83) 81 f i n a l
                                                                        B r u s s e l s , 21 February 1983
                                                      Draft
                                         COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC)
       o p e n in g , a l l o c a t i n g and a d m i n i s t e r i n g a Community t a r i f f quota
                f o r c e r t a i n grades o f ferr o-ch rom ium, f a l l i n g w it h in
                                   subheading ex 7 3 . 0 2 E I of t h e
                                           Common Customs T a r i f f
                       (su bm itte d t o t h e Council by t h e Commission)
  C0M(83) 81 f i n a l
 ---pagebreak---                                                     EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. The Commission has f e l t i t n e c e s s a r y , f o l l o wi n g a r e q u e s t from t h e German
   a u t h o r i t i e s , t o examine t h e q u e s t i o n of openi ng i n 1983 a Community t a r i f f
   quot a f o r c e r t a i n g r a d e s of f e r r o - c h r o mi u m, t o g e t h e r with t h e e v e r p r e s e n t
   q u e s t i o n of t h e flow of Community p r o d u c t i o n .                        Thi s e xa mi n a t i o n has been
   c a r r i e d out d u r i n g me e t i ngs t a k i n g p l a c e , i n p a r t i c u l a r on 14 J a n u a r y 1983,
   wi t h p r o d u c e r s and cons umers , and on 18 J a n u a r y 1983 with t h e Government
   e x p e r t s c on c e r n e d .
2. The r e s u l t s of t h e d i s c u s s i o n s a r e :
   a) t h a t t h e a gr ee ment s bet ween p r o d u c e r s and consumers which had e n s u r e d
         a s a t i s f a c t i o n flow of Community p r o d u c t i o n d u r i n g t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r s ,
         and i n p a r t i c u l a r f o r t h e second h a l f of 1982, were wel l on t h e way
         t o be i ng c o n c l u d e d , whi l e n e v e r t h e l e s s not yet bei ng c o n s i d e r e d
         f i na l .
         In t h i s c o n n e c t i o n , t h e Commission c o n s i d e r s t h a t t h e d r a f t r e g u l a t i o n
         annexed i s an i n s t r u me r t s e r v i n g , on t h e one hand t o f a c i l i t a t e t h e
         c o n c l u s i o n of t h e s e agr ee ment s f o r 1983, and, on t h e o t h e r hand, t o
         a l l ow t h e a d o p t i o n i n good t i me of t h e d e c i s i o n p o s s i b l y t o be
         t a k e n by t h e Co u n c i l .            I t i s e v i d e n t t h a t t h i s d r a f t would have t o
         be wit hdrawn i f i t a p p e a r e d t h a t t h e s e c u r i t y of t h e flow of Community
         p r o d u c t i o n coul d not be e n s u r e d .
   b) t h a t t h e s o l u t i o n adopt e d i n 1982 making p r o v i s i o n f o r openi ng t a r i f f
          q u o t a s o nl y f o r f e r r o- chr omi um c o n t a i n i n g a t l e a s t 6 % carbon (with
          a p o s s i b l e minimum p e r c e n t a g e of s i l i c u m ) had not been e n t i r e l y
          s a t i s f a c t i o n , and t h a t t h e s o l u t i o n f o r 1983              s houl d a l s o i n c l u d e
          f e r r o - c h r o mi u m c o n t a i n i n g from 4 t o 6 % car bon.
    c) t h a t t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s of i m p o r t a t i o n s coming from n o n - p r e f e r e n t i a l
          t h i r d c o u n t r i e s in 1983 coul d not be a s c e r t a i n e d a t t h e p r e s e n t t i m e ,
          n e i t h e r g l o b a l l y nor s e p a r a t e l y f o r each q u a l i t y of f er r o- chr omi um
          c i te d at point b).                 E s t i ma t e s made on t h e b a s i s of t h e i nc ompl e t e
          i n f o r m a t i o n c u r r e n t l y a v a i l a b l e n e v e r t h e l e s s p l a c e s t h e s e r e q u i r e me n t s
          a t a p p r o x i m a t e l y 10 000 t onne s f o r t h e f e r r o- c hr omi um c o n t a i n i n g from
          4 t o 6 % of carbon and a p p r o x i ma t e l y 200 000 t o n n e s f o r t h a t
 ---pagebreak---       c on tai ni ng a t l e a s t 6 % carbon.
In t h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , t h e Commission c o n s i d e r s i t n e c e s s a r y , t a k i n g
i n t o a c c ount t h e u n c e r t a i n t i e s r e l a t i n g t o t h e n e c e s s a r y economic d a t a ,
and t h e n e c e s s i t y t o e n s u r e p a r a l l e l devel opment of t h e flow of Community
p r o d u c t i o n and t h e s u p p l y under f a v o u r a b l e c o n d i t i o n s t o t h e u s e r
i n d u s t r i e s , t o show c a u t i o n in f i x i n g t h e quot a vol umes, in o r d e r not
t o d i s t u r b t h e b a l a n c e of t h e ma r ke t .
To t h i s e nd, i t s u g g e s t s openi ng f o r t h e y e a r 1983, t a r i f f q u o t a s a t
a n i l r a t e , f o r which t h e p r o v i s i o n a l vol umes, c o v e r i n g t h e f i r s t mont hs'
r e q u i r e m e n t s , a r e r e s p e c v i v e l y 3 000 and 60 000 t o n n e s , which coul d be
r e v i s e d i n t h e l i g h t of changes i n t h e s i t u a t i o n .                R e v i s i o n c oul d be
made in A p r i l w i t h i n t h e " T a r i f f Economy" Group i n o r d e r t o e f f e c t ,
t a k i n g i n t o a c c ount t h e d e l a y f o r a p p r o v a l p r o c e d u r e s , a p o s s i b l e
i n c r e a s e from 1 J u l y 1983.
As i s t h e p r a c t i c e i n s i m i l a r c a s e s , t h e quot a volumes p r opos e d have
been s u b d i v i d e d i n t o 2 t r a n c h e s , t h e f i r s t bei ng d i v i d e d among t h e
Member S t a t e s i n p r o p o r t i o n t o t h e i r f o r e s e e a b l e i m p o r t a t i o n s from t h i r d
c o u n t r i e s , and t h e s econd c o r r e s p o n d i n g t o t h e b a l a n c e of t h i s volume
 c o n s t i t u t i n g a Community r e s e r v e .          The c o n s t i t u t i o n of such a r e s e r v e
 i s a l l t h e more j u s t i f i e d i n t h e p r e s e n t c a s e s i n c e t h e q uot a volumes
 a r e l i a b l e t o be r e v i s e d d u r i n g t h e y e a r           to b e t t e r correspond to the
r e a l r e q u i r e m e n t s of t h e u s e r i n d u s t r i e s , and s i n c e t h e o r i g i n a l quot a
s h a r e s were una bl e t o be d e t e r mi n e d with t h e a c c u r a c y d e s i r e d .
 F u r t h e r mo r e , t h e d r a f t r e g u l a t i o n s u b m i t t e d by t h e Commission makes
p r o v i s i o n i n A r t i c l e 6 , f o r t h e p o s s i b i l i t y f o r Member S t a t e s t o
 r e s t r i c t t o c e r t a i n u s e r t h e b e n e f i t of t h e t a r i f f q u o t a s i n q u e s t i o h .
 ---pagebreak---                                                   Draft
                                     COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC)
                   opening allocating and administering a Community tariff quota for certain
                   grades of ferro-chromium falling within subheading ex 73.02 E I of the Common
                                                     Customs Tariff
  THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN                                     and to the econom ic outlook for the quota period in
  COMMUNITIES,                                                    q u e s tio n ;
                                                                  Whereas, however, since the quotas are autonomous
                                                                  Community tariff quotas intended to cover import
  Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European           needs arising in the Community, the quota volumes
  Economic Community and in particular Article 28                 may, as an experiment, be allocated on the basis of the
  thereof,                                                        temporary import needs from third countries esti­
  Having r e g a r d t o t h e d r a f t R e g u l a t i o n      mated for each of the Member States ; whereas this
  s u b m i t t e d by t h e Commission,                         system of allocation also ensures the uniform applica­
                                                                 tion of the Common Customs Tariff;
  Whereas, f o r f er r o - c h r o mi u m c o n t a i n i n g
 not l e s s t han 4 % by wei ght of carbon
                             production is, to a variable        Whereas, to take account of future import trends for
  degree, inadequate in the Community and producers              the products concerned, the quota volumes should be
  are unable to meet the total requirements of consumer          divided into two instalments, the first being allocated
 industries ; whereas it is therefore in the Community’s         among the Member States and the second held as a
 interest to suspend totally in respect of this metal the        reserve to cover subsequently the requirements of
 application of the Common Customs Tariff duty for a             Member States which have exhausted their initial
 period running up to 31 December 198 3 within a                 shares; whereas, to give importers of the Member
 suitable tariff quota ; whereas, in order to avoid dis­         States some degree of certainty, the first instalment of
 turbing the equilibrium of the market for this ferro­           each Community tariff quota should be fixed at a rela­
 alloy and to ensure parallel development in sales of            tively high level which could be a t more t h a n 90%
 Community production and in supplies to meet the
                                                                  of t h e quot a volumes;
 requirements of consumer industries, it is appropriate
 to fix the quota volume at the provisional level of
   63000 tonnes, covering immediate import needs
 from third countries ; whereas for the same reasons a          Whereas Member States may exhaust their initial
 distinction should be made between certain grades of           shares at different rates ; whereas, to avoid disruption
 ferro-chrome and the abovementioned quota volume               of supplies on this account, provision should be made
 should be allocated between them ; whereas, moreover,          that any Member State which has almost used up its
 Member States should be free only to authorize                 initial share should draw an additional share from the
 amounts to be charged against this volume subject to           corresponding reserve; whereas each time its addi­
 certain conditions relating to destination ;                   tional share is almost exhausted a Member State
                                                                should draw a further share, and so on as many times
                                                                as each reserve allows ; whereas the initial and addi­
                                                                tional shares should be valid until the end of the quota
                                                                period ; whereas this form of administration requires
                                                                close collaboration betv'een the Member States and the
Whereas equal and continuous access to these quotas             Commission and the Cr mmission must be in a posi­
should be guaranteed for all Community importers
                                                               tion to monitor the extent to which the quota volumes
and the rate of duty for these tariff quotas should be
                                                               have been used up and 'o inforrn the Member States
applied consistently to all imports until the quotas are
                                                               accordingly ;
exhausted ; whereas, in the light of these principles,
arrangements for the utilization of the Community
tariff quotas based on an allocation among Member
States would seem to comply with the Community                 Whereas, if at a given date in the quota period a con­
nature of the quotas ; whereas, to correspond as closely       siderable quantity of one of a Member State’s initial
as possible to the actual trend in the market in the           shares remains unused, it is essential that such State
products in question, such allocation should be in             should return a significant proportion thereof to the
proportion to the requirements of the Member States            corresponding reserve, in order to prevent a part of
as calculated by reference to statistics of imports from       one of the Community quotas from remaining unused
third countries during a representative reference period       in one Member State while it could be ^scu in others ;
 ---pagebreak---                                                           - 2-
Whereas since the Kingdom of Belgium, the                      (b) as regards ferro-chromium containing not less than
Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of                    6 % by weight of carbon
Luxembourg are united within and jointly represented
by the Benelux Economic Union, any measure con­                                                          (tonnes)
cerning the administration of the shares allocated to
                                                                      Benelux                              15
that Economic Union may be carried out by any one
of its members,                                                       Denmark                               5
                                                                      Germany                        31 650
                                                                      Greece                                5
                                                                      France                         12  250
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :                                         Ireland                               5
                                                                      Italy                           5  120
                                                                      United Kingdom                  5  950
                          Article 1
                                                                        The two instalments, involving 1 00 tonnes and
 1.     From the date of entry into force of this Regula­             000 tonnes respectively, shall constitute the
tion until 31 December 198J a tariff quota of 63 000            reserves.
tonnes shall be opened within the Community in
respect of certain grades of ferro-chromium falling
                                                                                          Article 3
within subheading ex 73.02 E I of the Common
 Customs Tariff.                                                1. As soon as one of the Member States has used
                                                                90 % or more of one of its initial shares as fixed in
 2. The volume of the tariff quota referred to in               Article 2 (1), or of that share minus any portion
 paragraph 1 shall be allocated as follows :                    returned to the reserve pursuant to Article 5, it shall
 (a) 3 OOQonnes for ferro-chromium containing not               forthwith, by notifying the Commission, draw a
      less than 4 % by weight of carbon ;                       second share, to the extent that the reserve so permits,
                                                                equal to 10 % of its initial share rounded up as neces­
 (b) 60 000 tonnes for ferro-chromium containing not            sary to the next whole number.
      less than 6 % by weight of carbon
                                                                2. As soon as one of the Member States, after
                                                                exhausting one or other of its initial shares, has used
 3.     Imports of the products in question which               90 % or more of the second share drawn by it, that
 already benefit from exemption from customs duties             Member State shall forthwith, in the manner and to
 under another preferential tariff system are not to be          the extent provided in paragraph 1, draw a third share
  charged against this tariff quota.                             equal to 5 % of its initial share.
  4. Within this quota, the customs tariff duty shall            3.      As soon as one of the Member States, after
  be totally suspended. Within the context of this quota,        exhausting one or other second share, has used 90 %
  the Hellenic Republic shall apply customs duties               or more of the third share drawn by it, that Member
  calculated in accordance with the relevant provisions          State shall forthwith and on the same conditions draw
  laid down in the 1979 Act of Accession.                        a fourth share equal to the third.
                                                                 This process shall continue until the reserves are
                          Article 2                              exhausted.
  1. A first instalment of each of the volumes indi­             4.      Notwithstanding paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, Member
  cated in Article 1 (2), amounting to 2 9 0 0 tonnes for        States may draw shares lower than those specified in
  the tariff quota referred to at (a) and-'5 0 0 0 tonnes for     those paragraphs if there are grounds for believing that
  the tariff quota referred to at (b), shall be allocated         those specified may not be used in full. Any Member
  among the Member States ; the shares, which subject             State applying this paragraph shall inform the
  to Article 5 shall be valid until 31 December 1983              Commission of its grounds for doing so.
  shall be as follows :
                                                                                           Article 4
  (a) as regard ferro-chromium containing not less than
      4 % by weight of carbon :                                   Additional shares drawn pursuant to Article 3 shall be
                                                                  valid until 31 December 1983.
                                            (tonnes)
       Benelux                             1 570                                           Article 5
       Denmark                                   10
       Germany                                 100                Member States shall, not later than 1 November 1983
       Greece                                     10               return to the reserve the unused portion of their initial
       France                                  600                share which on 15 October 198 3exceeds 20 % of the
       Ireland                                    10               initial amount. They may return a greater portion if
       Italy                                   300                 there are grounds for believing that such part may not
       United Kingdom                          300                 be used in full.
 ---pagebreak---                                                        -3 -
Not later than 1 November 198 3 the Member States                                    Article 8
shall notify the Commission of the total quantities of
the products in question imported up to and including        1. Member States shall take all appropriate measures
15 October 1983 and charged against the Community            to ensure that additional shares drawn pursuant to
quotas and of any portion of their initial shares            Article 3 are opened in such a way that imports may
returned to the corresponding reserve.                       be charged without interruption against their accumu­
                                                             lated shares of the tariff quotas.
                        Article 6                            2. Member States shall ensure that importers of the
                                                             products in question                                have
Member States may decide that only products to be            free access to the shares allocated to them.
used for certain purposes may be charged against their
quota shares. A control in the case that the products        3. The extent to which Member States have used up
have been used for the particular purpose specified          their shares shall be determined on the basis of
shall be carried out by applying the Community               imports of the products in question entered with the
provisions on the subject.                                   customs authorities for free circulation.
                        Article 7                                                     Article 9
The Commission shall keep an account of the shares            At the request of the Commission, the Member States
opened by the Member States pursuant to Articles 2            shall inform it of imports actually charged against
 and 3 and shall, as soon as the information reaches it,      their shares.
 inform each State of the extent to which the reserves
 have been used up.
                                                                                     Article 10
 Not later than 5 November 1983, it shall inform the
                                                              Member States and the Commission shall cooperate
 Member States of the amounts still in the reserves
                                                              closely to ensure that this Regulation is complied with.
 following any return of shares pursuant to Article 5.
 It shall ensure that, when an amount exhausting one                                  Article 11
 of the reserves is drawn, the amount so drawn does not
 exceed the balance available, and to this end shall          This Regulation shall enter into force on the day
 notify the amount of that balance to the Member State        following its publication in the Official Journal of the
 making the last drawing.                                      European Communities.
               This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
               States.
               Done at Brussels,
                                                                          For the Council
                                                                            The President