
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 76/2002 of 17 January 2002 introducing prior Community surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products covered by the ECSC and EC Treaties originating in certain third countries 

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
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, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2474/2000, 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, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1138/98, and in particular Article 9(1) thereof,
Consultations having taken place within the committees set up under the Regulations referred to above,
Whereas:

(1) In accordance with Regulations (EC) No 3285/94 and (EC) No 519/94, products covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community are subject to the common rules for imports, and it is therefore necessary that the arrangements for Community surveillance measures in respect of ECSC products be adopted in accordance with those Regulations.

(2) The situation on the steel market has worsened considerably in 2001 under the combined impact of a number of factors, chief among them being a marked downturn in the world economy evident from the outset of the year and the recession that began to affect some economies, including that of the United States, in the latter half of the year.

(3) The steel market has also been unsettled by the uncertainty and hedging caused by the possibility of import restrictions on the US market following the US administration's ‘Section 201’ safeguard investigation.

(4) Should import restrictions actually be applied on the US market, they are likely to cause major fluctuations in the structure of international trade, and in particular the deflection of trade towards the Community market. Such deflection could seriously harm the Community steel industry.

(5) Available economic indicators and estimates for 2001 show the following trends: 


A.. Production. Production of crude steel in the Community in 2001 is expected to be about 159 million tonnes. This estimate is not only 2,5 % lower than production in 2000 (163,2 million tonnes), it is also lower than the levels recorded in 1997 (159,4 million tonnes) and 1998 (159,7 million tonnes).
B.. Imports. Imports of ECSC iron and steel products into the Community from all third countries will remain appreciably the same as in 2000, at about 25 million tonnes. By way of comparison, Community imports of these products totalled 12,2 million tonnes in 1996. This means that steel imports into the Community have more than doubled in the past five years.
C.. Exports. At a probable level of about 21 million tonnes, Community exports of ECSC iron and steel products in 2001 are about 8 % down on the previous year. By way of comparison, Community imports of these products amounted to 28 million tonnes in 1996. Community exports to the US and Canada have been hit particularly hard, falling by an estimated 36 % and 32 % respectively. This trend will worsen in 2002 if restrictions are introduced on the US market. For 2001 as a whole, the Community is expected to be a net importer of iron and steel products, with a trade deficit in excess of 4 million tonnes. In 1996 the Community recorded a trade surplus of the order of 15,8 million tonnes.
D.. Prices. Prices for iron and steel products in 2001 were 18 % lower on average than in 2000.

(6) Since the scope of the Section 201 safeguard investigation includes pipes and tubes, the possibility of US restrictions on these products cannot be excluded. Prior surveillance should therefore be extended to pipes and tubes.

(7) The Community's external trade statistics are not available within the periods established by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1917/2000, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1669/2001.

(8) The interests of the Community require that imports of certain iron and steel products should be subject to prior Community surveillance in order to provide statistical information permitting rapid analysis of import trends.

(9) The completion of the internal market requires that the formalities to be accomplished by Community importers be identical wherever the goods may be cleared.

(10) Release for free circulation of the products covered by this Regulation should be made subject to presentation of a surveillance document meeting uniform criteria.

(11) That document should, on simple application by the importer, be endorsed by the authorities of the Member States within a certain period but without the importer thereby acquiring any right to import. The document should therefore be valid only as long as the import rules remain unchanged.

(12) The surveillance documents issued for the purposes of Community surveillance must be valid throughout the Community, regardless of the Member State of issue.

(13) The Member States and the Commission should exchange the information resulting from Community surveillance as fully as possible.

(14) The issue of surveillance documents, while subject to standard conditions at Community level, is to be the responsibility of the national authorities.

(15) It should be reiterated that for certain iron and steel products the issue of a surveillance document is subject to presentation of an export document in accordance with arrangements established within the framework of double-checking agreements with certain third countries, and the present Regulation does not apply to products originating in those countries which are subject to such a double-checking system,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1 

1. The release for free circulation in the Community of iron and steel products covered by the ECSC and the EC Treaties listed in Annex 1 shall be subject to prior Community surveillance in accordance with Articles 11 and 12 of Regulation (EC) No 3285/94 and Articles 9 and 10 of Regulation (EC) No 519/94. This applies to imports originating in all non-member countries. However, products which are subject to a double-checking agreement established between a non-member country and the Community shall be subject to the conditions established by that agreement and not to this Regulation.
2. The classification of the products covered by this Regulation is based on the tariff and statistical nomenclature of the Community (hereinafter called the ‘combined nomenclature’, or in abbreviated form ‘CN’). The origin of the products covered by this Regulation shall be determined in accordance with the rules in force in the Community.
3. Imports whose net weight does not exceed 2 500 kilograms are excluded from the application of this Regulation.
Article 2 

1. The release for free circulation in the Community of the products referred to in Article 1 shall be subject to presentation of a surveillance document issued by the relevant authorities of a Member State.
2. The surveillance document referred to in paragraph 1 shall be issued automatically by the competent authorities in the Member States, without charge and for any quantities requested, within five working days of presentation of an application by any Community importer, wherever it may be established in the Community. This application shall be deemed to have been received by the competent national authority no later than three working days after submission, unless it is proven otherwise.
3. A surveillance document issued by one of the authorities listed in Annex II shall be valid throughout the Community.
4. The surveillance document shall be made out on a form corresponding to the model at Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 3285/94 on common rules for imports or in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 519/94 on common rules for imports from certain third countries. The importer's application shall include the following elements:
(a) the name and full address of the applicant (including telephone and fax numbers, and possible identification number used by the competent national authorities) and VAT registration number, if subject to VAT;
(b) if applicable, the name and full address of the declarant or representative of the applicant (including telephone and fax numbers);
(c) the full name and address of the exporter;
(d) the exact description of the goods, including:
— their trade name,
— the combined nomenclature (CN) code(s),
— the country of origin,
— the country of consignment;
(e) the net weight expressed in kg, and the quantity in the unit prescribed where other than net weight, by combined nomenclature heading;
(f) the cif value of the goods in euro at the Community frontier by combined nomenclature heading;
(g) whether the products concerned are seconds or of substandard quality;
(h) the proposed period and place of customs clearance;
(i) whether the application is a repeat of a previous application concerning the same contract;
(j) the following declaration, dated and signed by the applicant with the transcription of his name in capital letters:'I, the undersigned, certify that the information provided in this application is true and given in good faith, and that I am established in the Community.'The importer shall also submit a copy of the contract of sale or purchase and of the pro forma invoice. If so requested, for example in cases where the goods are not directly purchased in the country of production, the importer shall present a certificate of production issued by the producing steel mill.
5. Surveillance documents may be used only for such time as arrangements for liberalisation of imports remain in force in respect of the transactions concerned. Without prejudice to possible changes in the import regulations in force or decisions taken in the framework of an agreement or the management of a quota:
— the period of validity of the surveillance document is hereby fixed at four months,
— unused or partly used surveillance documents may be renewed for an equal period.
6. The importer shall return surveillance documents to the issuing authority at the end of their period of validity.
7. The competent authorities may allow the submission of declarations or requests to be transmitted or printed by electronic means, under the conditions fixed by them. However, all documents and evidence must be available to the competent authorities.
8. The surveillance document may be issued by electronic means as long as the customs offices involved have access to the document via a computer network.
Article 3 

1. A finding that the unit price at which the transaction is effected varies from that indicated in the surveillance document by less than 5 % in either direction or that the total quantity of the products presented for import exceeds the quantity given in the surveillance document by less than 5 % shall not preclude the release for free circulation of the products in question.
2. Applications for surveillance documents and the documents themselves shall be confidential. They shall be restricted to the competent authorities and the applicant.
Article 4 

1. The Member States shall communicate to the Commission:
(a) on as regular and up-to-date a basis as possible and at least by the last day of each month, details of the quantities and values (calculated in euro) for which surveillance documents have been issued;
(b) within six weeks of the end of each month, details of imports during that month, in accordance with Article 32 of Regulation No (EC) 1917/2000.The information provided by Member States shall be broken down by product, CN code and by country.
2. The Member States shall give notification of any anomalies or cases of fraud which they discover and, where relevant, the basis on which they have refused to grant a surveillance document.
Article 4a 
As regards release for free circulation in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia as of 1 May 2004 of the steel products covered by this Commission Regulation and shipped before 1 May 2004, a surveillance document is not required provided that the goods have been shipped before 1 May 2004. The presentation of the bill of lading or another transport document deemed to be equivalent by Community authorities proving the shipment date is required.
Article 5 
Any notices to be given under this Regulation shall be given to the Commission of the European Communities and shall be communicated electronically via the integrated network set up for this purpose, unless for imperative technical reasons it is necessary to use other means of communication temporarily.
Article 6 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
This Regulation shall apply from 1 January to 31 December 2012.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
ANNEXList of products subject to prior surveillance 


 7207 11 14
 7208 10 00
 7208 25 00
 7208 26 00
 7208 27 00
 7208 36 00
 7208 37 10
 7208 37 90
 7208 38 10
 7208 38 90
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 7208 39 90
 7208 40 10
 7208 40 90
 7208 51 10
 7208 51 30
 7208 51 50
 7208 51 91
 7208 51 99
 7208 52 10
 7208 52 91
 7208 52 99
 7208 53 10
 7208 53 90
 7208 54 10
 7208 54 90
 7208 90 10
 7208 90 90
 7209 15 00
 7209 16 10
 7209 16 90
 7209 17 10
 7209 17 90
 7209 18 10
 7209 18 91
 7209 18 99
 7209 25 00
 7209 26 10
 7209 26 90
 7209 27 10
 7209 27 90
 7209 28 10
 7209 28 90
 7209 90 10
 7209 90 90
 7210 11 10
 7210 11 90
 7210 12 11
 7210 12 19
 7210 12 90
 7210 20 10
 7210 20 90
 7210 30 10
 7210 30 90
 7210 41 10
 7210 41 90
 7210 49 10
 7210 49 90
 7210 50 10
 7210 50 90
 7210 61 10
 7210 61 90
 7210 69 10
 7210 69 90
 7210 70 31
 7210 70 39
 7210 70 90
 7210 90 31
 7210 90 33
 7210 90 38
 7210 90 90
 7211 13 00
 7211 14 10
 7211 14 90
 7211 19 20
 7211 19 90
 7211 23 10
 7211 23 51
 7211 23 91
 7211 23 99
 7211 29 20
 7211 29 50
 7211 29 90
 7211 90 11
 7211 90 19
 7211 90 90
 7212 10 10
 7212 10 91
 7212 10 93
 7212 10 99
 7212 20 11
 7212 20 19
 7212 20 90
 7212 30 11
 7212 30 19
 7212 30 90
 7212 40 10
 7212 40 91
 7212 40 93
 7212 40 95
 7212 40 98
 7212 50 31
 7212 50 51
 7212 50 58
 7212 50 75
 7212 50 91
 7212 50 93
 7212 50 97
 7212 50 99
 7212 60 11
 7212 60 19
 7212 60 91
 7212 60 93
 7212 60 99
 7213 10 00
 7213 20 00
 7213 91 10
 7213 91 20
 7213 91 41
 7213 91 49
 7213 91 70
 7213 91 90
 7213 99 10
 7213 99 90
 7214 20 00
 7214 30 00
 7214 91 10
 7214 91 90
 7214 99 10
 7214 99 31
 7214 99 39
 7214 99 50
 7214 99 61
 7214 99 69
 7214 99 80
 7214 99 90
 7215 90 10
 7216 10 00
 7216 21 00
 7216 22 00
 7216 31 11
 7216 31 19
 7216 31 91
 7216 31 99
 7216 32 11
 7216 32 19
 7216 32 91
 7216 32 99
 7216 33 10
 7216 33 90
 7216 40 10
 7216 40 90
 7216 50 10
 7216 50 91
 7216 50 99
 7216 99 10
 7219 11 00
 7219 12 10
 7219 12 90
 7219 13 10
 7219 13 90
 7219 14 10
 7219 14 90
 7219 21 10
 7219 21 90
 7219 22 10
 7219 22 90
 7219 23 00
 7219 24 00
 7219 31 00
 7219 32 10
 7219 32 90
 7219 33 10
 7219 33 90
 7219 34 10
 7219 34 90
 7219 35 10
 7219 35 90
 7219 90 20
 7219 90 80
 7220 11 00
 7220 12 00
 7220 20 21
 7220 20 29
 7220 20 41
 7220 20 49
 7220 20 81
 7220 20 89
 7220 90 20
 7220 90 80
 7221 00 10
 7221 00 90
 7222 11 11
 7222 11 19
 7222 11 21
 7222 11 29
 7222 11 91
 7222 11 99
 7222 19 10
 7222 19 90
 7222 20 11
 7222 20 19
 7222 20 21
 7222 20 29
 7222 20 31
 7222 20 39
 7222 20 81
 7222 20 89
 7222 30 10
 7222 30 51
 7222 30 91
 7222 30 98
 7222 40 10
 7222 40 30
 7222 40 91
 7222 40 93
 7222 40 99
 7223 00 11
 7223 00 91
 7223 00 19
 7223 00 99
 7225 11 00
 7225 19 10
 7225 19 90
 7225 20 20
 7225 20 90
 7225 30 00
 7225 40 20
 7225 40 50
 7225 40 80
 7225 50 00
 7225 91 10
 7225 91 90
 7225 92 10
 7225 92 90
 7225 99 10
 7225 99 90
 7226 11 10
 7226 11 90
 7226 19 10
 7226 19 30
 7226 19 90
 7226 91 10
 7226 91 90
 7226 92 10
 7226 92 90
 7226 93 20
 7226 93 80
 7226 94 20
 7226 94 80
 7226 99 20
 7226 99 80
 7227 90 10
 7228 10 10
 7228 10 30
 7228 20 11
 7228 20 19
 7228 20 30
 7228 30 20
 7228 30 41
 7228 30 49
 7228 30 61
 7228 30 69
 7228 30 70
 7228 30 89
 7228 50 20
 7228 60 10
 7228 70 10
 7228 70 31
 7228 80 10
 7228 80 90
 7301 10 00
 Complete CN heading 7304
 Complete CN heading 7305
 Complete CN heading 7306
 7307 91 00
 7307 93 11
 7307 93 19
 7307 99 30
 7307 99 90

LISTA DE LAS AUTORIDADES NACIONALES COMPETENTES СПИСЪК НА КОМПЕТЕНТНИТЕ НАЦИОНАЛНИ ОРГАНИ 
SEZNAM PŘÍSLUŠNÝCH VNITROSTÁTNÍCH ORGÁNŮ 
LISTE OVER KOMPETENTE NATIONALE MYNDIGHEDER 
LISTE DER ZUSTÄNDIGEN BEHÖRDEN DER MITGLIEDSTAATEN 
PÄDEVATE RIIKLIKE ASUTUSTE NIMEKIRI 
ΔΙΕΥΘΥΝΣΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΧΩΝ ΕΚΔΟΣΗΣ ΑΔΕΙΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΚΡΑΤΩΝ ΜΕΛΩΝ 
LIST OF THE COMPETENT NATIONAL AUTHORITIES 
LISTE DES AUTORITÉS NATIONALES COMPÉTENTES 
ELENCO DELLE COMPETENTI AUTORITÀ NAZIONALI 
VALSTU KOMPETENTO IESTAŽU SARAKSTS 
ATSAKINGŲ NACIONALINIŲ INSTITUCIJŲ SĄRAŠAS 
AZ ILLETÉKES NEMZETI HATÓSÁGOK LISTÁJA 
LISTA TAL-AWTORITAJIET KOMPETENTI NAZZJONALI 
LIJST VAN BEVOEGDE NATIONALE INSTANTIES 
LISTA WŁAŚCIWYCH ORGANÓW KRAJOWYCH 
LISTA DAS AUTORIDADES NACIONAIS COMPETENTES 
LISTA AUTORITĂȚILOR NAȚIONALE COMPETENTE 
ZOZNAM PRÍSLUŠNÝCH ŠTÁTNYCH ORGÁNOV 
SEZNAM PRISTOJNIH NACIONALNIH ORGANOV 
LUETTELO TOIMIVALTAISISTA KANSALLISISTA VIRANOMAISISTA 
FÖRTECKNING ÖVER BEHÖRIGA NATIONELLA MYNDIGHETER 


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 ITALIA
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Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y ComercioSecretaría General de Comercio ExteriorSubdirección General de Comercio Exterior de Productos IndustrialesPaseo de la Castellana 16228046 MadridESPAÑATel. +34 913493817 / +34 9134937488Fax +34 913493831
 LATVIJA
Latvijas Republikas Ekonomikas ministrijaBrīvības iela 55Rīga, LV-1519Tel. +371 670132 99/00 / +371 67013248Fakss +371 67280882
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Lietuvos Respublikos ūkio ministerijaPrekybos departamentasGedimino pr. 38/2LT-01104 VilniusTel. +370 52628750 / +370 52619488Faks. +370 52623974
 LUXEMBOURG
Ministère de l’économie et du commerce extérieuOffice des licencesBP 1132011 LuxembourgLUXEMBOURGTél. +352 4782371Fax +352 466138
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 SLOVENIJA
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Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Familie und JugendAußenwirtschaftsadministrationAbteilung C2/2Stubenring 11011 WienTel. +43 171100-0Fax +43 171100/83 86
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Ministério das Finanças e da Administração PúblicaDirecção-Geral das Alfândegas e dos ImpostosEspeciais sobre o ConsumoRua da Alfândega, n.o 5, r/c1149-006 LisboaPORTUGALTel. +35 1218814263Fax +35 1218813990
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KommerskollegiumBox 6803SE-113 86 StockholmTfn +46 86904800Fax +46 8306759
 UNITED KINGDOM
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Import Licensing BranchQueensway House — West PrecinctBillinghamTS23 2NFUNITED KINGDOMTel. +44 1642364333 / +44 1642364334Fax +44 1642364269E-mail: enquiries.ilb@bis.gsi.gov.uk
