EU surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products originating in certain non-EU countries

 

SUMMARY OF:

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/670 — introducing prior EU surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products originating in certain non-EU countries

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It introduces a ‘prior surveillance’ import licencing scheme to improve the monitoring of the imports of certain iron and steel products.

KEY POINTS

Scope

• Annex 1 of the regulation sets out the codes of the products covered by the regulation.
• The regulation applies to imports with a net weight of more than 2 500 kilogrammes.

Common EU rules

• To be granted free circulation with the EU, such products are subject to prior EU surveillance under the import rules set out in:
  • Regulation (EU) 2015/478 on Common EU rules for imports, and
  • Regulation (EU) 2015/755 on Common rules for imports from certain non-EU countries.

Surveillance licence

• Products satisfying these import rules are granted a surveillance licence by the EU country concerned releasing the product for free circulation on the EU market.
• Importers must provide certain information including:
  • name and address of the applicant;
  • a description of the goods, their quantity and value;
  • commercial evidence of the intention to import, such as a copy of the contract of sale or purchase or of the pro forma invoice.
• If the unit price at which the transaction was made, or the total quantity of the product presented varies by less than 5% from that stated on the surveillance licence, it will not prevent the free circulation of the product.

Reporting

• EU countries must update the European Commission on a regular basis (at least monthly) of the quantities and values for which surveillance licences have been issued.
• They must also notify the Commission of any anomalies or cases of fraud which they discover and, the basis on which any licence was refused.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It applies from 30 April 2016 until 15 May 2020.

BACKGROUND

• Import restrictions (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/670 of 28 April 2016 introducing prior Union surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products originating in certain third countries (OJ L 115, 29.4.2016, pp. 37-47)

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) 2016/670 have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Regulation (EU) 2015/755 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 on common rules for imports from certain third countries (OJ L 123, 19.5.2015, pp. 33-49)

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EU) 2015/478 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2015 on common rules for imports (OJ L 83, 27.3.2015, pp. 16-33)

Agreement on the European Economic Area — Final Act — Joint Declarations — Declarations by the Governments of the Member States of the Community and the EFTA States — Arrangements — Agreed Minutes — Declarations by one or several of the Contracting Parties of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, pp. 3-522)

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code (OJ L 269, 10.10.2013, pp. 1-101)

See consolidated version.

last update 23.05.2019