Council Regulation (EC) No 57/2004

of 27 October 2003

amending Commission Decision 2002/602/ECSC on administering certain restrictions on imports of certain steel products from the Russian Federation

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part(1), entered into force on 1 December 1997.

(2) Article 21 of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement provides that trade in European Coal and Steel Community (hereinafter referred to as "the ECSC") products shall be governed by Title III, save for Article 15 thereof, and by the provisions of an agreement.

(3) On 9 July 2002 the ECSC and the Government of the Russian Federation concluded such an Agreement on trade in certain steel products(2), approved on behalf of the ECSC by Commission Decision 2002/603/ECSC(3).

(4) The ECSC Treaty expired on 23 July 2002. The Parties agreed pursuant to Article 10(2) of the Agreement on trade in certain steel products that it should be continued and that all rights and obligations should be maintained after such expiry.

(5) The Government of the Russian Federation has requested, in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Agreement, to carry over certain amounts of the quantitative limits not used during the year 2002; the authorised carryover for each product group is as follows: 2186980 kg for SA1, 10802830 kg for SA1a, 4200000 kg for SA2, 2505046 kg for SA3, 0 for SA4, 272850 kg for SB1, 4200000 for SB2 and 11550000 for SB3.

(6) In accordance with Article 3(4) of the Agreement, the Government of the Russian Federation has requested the transfer of 4000 tonnes from product group SB2 and 6000 tonnes from product group SB3 to product group SA1a.

(7) The Parties entered into consultations as provided for in Agreed Minute No 2 of the abovementioned Agreement and concluded that the product coverage of the Agreement has to be extended to include also product groups SA5 and SA6, such extension being the subject of a new agreement amending the previous Agreement.

(8) The Community approved the conclusion of the new Agreement, which entered into force on the day of its signature(4).

(9) It is necessary to amend accordingly Commission Decision 2002/602/ECSC on administering certain restrictions on imports of certain steel products from the Russian Federation(5) to take account of the request for carryover, the request for the transfer and the new Agreement,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Decision 2002/602/ECSC shall be amended as follows:

1. Annex I is replaced by the text of Annex I hereto.

2. Annex IV is replaced by the text of Annex II hereto.

Article 2

Imports into the Community of goods falling within product groups SA5 and SA6 accompanied by a surveillance document(6) issued before the date of entry into force of this Regulation shall not require an import authorisation as referred to in Commission Decision 2002/602/ECSC, notably in Article 2 thereof.

Article 3

The products listed in product groups SA5 and SA6 as defined in Annex I originating in the Russian Federation and imported into the Community as from 1 January 2003 shall be counted against the respective quantitative limits set out in Annex II for the year 2003.

Article 4

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 10th day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Luxembourg, 27 October 2003.

For the Council

The President

A. Matteoli

(1) OJ L 327, 28.11.1997, p. 3.

(2) OJ L 195, 24.7.2002, p. 55.

(3) OJ L 195, 24.7.2002, p. 54.

(4) See page 21 of this Official Journal.

(5) OJ L 195, 24.7.2002, p. 38.

(6) Issued in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 76/2002 (OJ L 16, 18.1.2002, p. 3). Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2385/2002 (OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 125).

ANNEX I

"ANNEX I

SA - FLAT-ROLLED PRODUCTS

SA1 - Coils

7208 10 00

7208 25 00

7208 26 00

7208 27 00

7208 36 00

7208 37 90

7208 38 90

7208 39 90

7211 14 10

7211 19 20

7219 11 00

7219 12 10

7219 12 90

7219 13 10

7219 13 90

7219 14 10

7219 14 90

7225 20 20

7225 30 00

SA1a - Hot-rolled coils for re-rolling

7208 37 10

7208 38 10

7208 39 10

SA2 - Heavy plate

7208 40 10

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

7211 13 00

SA3 - Other flat-rolled products

7208 40 90

7208 53 90

7208 54 10

7208 54 90

7208 90 10

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

7210 11 10

7210 12 11

7210 12 19

7210 20 10

7210 30 10

7210 41 10

7210 49 10

7210 50 10

7210 61 10

7210 69 10

7210 70 31

7210 70 39

7210 90 31

7210 90 33

7210 90 38

7211 14 90

7211 19 90

7211 23 51

7211 29 20

7211 90 11

7212 10 10

7212 10 91

7212 20 11

7212 30 11

7212 40 10

7212 40 91

7212 50 31

7212 50 51

7212 60 11

7212 60 91

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

7225 40 80

SA4 - Alloyed products

7226 20 20

7226 91 10

7226 91 90

7226 99 20

SA5 - Alloyed quarto plates

7225 40 20

7225 40 50

7225 99 10

SA6 - Alloyed cold-rolled and coated sheets

7225 50 00

7225 91 10

7225 92 10

7226 92 10

SB - LONG PRODUCTS

SB1 - Beams

7207 19 31

7207 20 71

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

SB2 - Wire rod

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

7221 00 10

7221 00 90

7227 10 00

7227 20 00

7227 90 10

7227 90 50

7227 90 95

SB3 - Other long products

7207 19 11

7207 19 14

7207 19 16

7207 20 51

7207 20 55

7207 20 57

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 40 10

7216 40 90

7216 50 10

7216 50 91

7216 50 99

7216 99 10

7218 99 20

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 30 10

7222 40 10

7222 40 30

7224 90 31

7224 90 39

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 60 10

7228 70 10

7228 70 31

7228 80 10

7228 80 90

7301 10 00"

ANNEX II

"ANNEX IV

QUANTITATIVE LIMITS

>TABLE>

Note:

SA and SB are product categories

SA1 to SA6 and SB1 to SB3 are product groups."