31977R0558

No L 71 /20 18 . 3 . 77 Official Journal of the European Communities

COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 558/77 of 16 March 1977 subjecting to authorization imports into France and into the United Kingdom of certain knitted or crocheted under garments originating in the Kingdom of Thailand

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN Whereas in view of this situation the Commission , at COMMUNITIES, the request of the authorities of the two Member States mainly concerned, began consultations with the Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Thai authorities under Article 3 of the Arrangement Economic Community, regarding international trade in textiles (2) with a view Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No to bringing about a reduction in imports of the 1439/74 of 4 June 1974 on common rules for products in question into the two Member States concerned ; imports (*), and irt particular Article 1 2 thereof,

After consultation within the Advisory Committee Whereas these consultations resulted in an under­ established by Article 5 of that Regulation, taking by the Thai authorities to introduce voluntary restraint of exports of the products in question to Whereas imports into the Community of knitted or France and to the United Kingdom ; crocheted shirts and similar garments originating in the Kingdom of Thailand have for some months been Whereas the effectiveness of the voluntary restraint increasing rapidly and substantially ; measures introduced by the Thai authorities depends on the introduction on the Community's side of Whereas this trend has been most evident in France controls ; whereas for this purpose imports of the and the United Kingdom, where imports of the products in question into France and into the United products in question grew, according to information Kingdom must be made subject to authorization ; supplied by the authorities of those countries, in France from about 400 000 items in 1975 to over two Whereas the above voluntary restraint measures million items in the first nine months of 1976, and in provide for quantitative limits on exports effected the United Kingdom from about 25 000 items in during the year 1977 ; 1975 to over 500 COO items in the first three quarters of 1976 ; Whereas the abovementioned import authorization arrangements must be established as soon as possible Whereas, according to information available to the in order to ensure that they are not circumvented by Commission, imports of the products in question the bringing forward of shipments or by indirect from all third countries already accounted in 1975 for imports, which could cause damage difficult to repair a market share approaching 42 % of national to producers within the Community, consumption in France and 65 % in the United Kingdom ; whereas this share has since increased ;

Whereas this increase in imports has been to the detri­ HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : ment of the industry in the Community, particularly in France and the United Kingdom, where production Article 1 of the garments in question has declined appreciably in recent years and as a consequence there has been a 1 . The importation into France and into the United substantial drop in employment in the industry in Kingdom of the goods described below originating in question ; the Kingdom of Thailand and exported from that Whereas all these factors have led to a disruption of country in 1977, shall be subject to the presentation the market and have caused grave damage to of an import authorization issued by the relevant authorities in the Member State concerned : producers within the Community ;

(M OJ No L 159, 15. 6. 1974, p. 1 . (2) OJ No L 1 18 , 30 . 4. 1974, p. 1 .

18 . 3 . 77 No L 71 /21 Official Journal of the European Communities

CCT NIMEXE heading code Description of goods No ( 1977)

ex 60.04 60.04-ex 1 1 ; 1 3 ; ex 1 9 ; Under garments, knitted or crocheted, not elastic or ex 29 ; 41 ; ex 49 ; ex rubberized : 59 ; ex 70 ; ex 80 — Shirts, undervests, T-shirts, singlets and the like, other than of silk or noil or other waste silk or of flax or ramie

2. Import authorizations shall be issued for quanti­ Thailand containing the information specified in the ties such that the total volume of the imports referred Annex hereto . to in paragraph 1 does not exceed to the following quantities : Article 2 — France 1 450 000 pieces , — United Kingdom 1 400 000 pieces. 1 . This Regulation shall enter into force on the second day following its publication in the Official 3 . Within the limits indicated in paragraph 2, Journal of the European Communities. import authorizations shall be issued automatically and without delay on production of a bill of lading 2. It shall apply until the entry into force of appro­ proving that the goods were placed on board in Thai­ priate measures to be taken by the Council pursuant land for export to France or the United Kingdom to Articles 12 (6) and 13 of Regulation (EEC) No before the date of entry into force of this Regulation 1439/74 or until the expiry of a period of six weeks with a view to exportation, or on production of an following the entry into force of this Regulation, whichever is the earlier. export licence granted by the relevant authority in

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

Done at Brussels, 16 March 1977 .

For the Commission

Wilhelm HAFERKAMP Vice-President

No L 71 /22 18 . 3 . 77 Official Journal of the European Communities

ANNEX

Information referred to in Article 1 (3)

Export licences issued by the Thai authorities (') for the products referred to in this Regulation shall indicate or contain the following : 1 . destination ; 2 . serial number ; 3 . name and address of the importer ; 4. name and address of the exporter ; 5 . the quantity, in number of pieces, of the products covered by the licence ; 6 . certification that the quantity concerned has been debited against the quantitative limit for expor­ tation to the Member State of destination .

(') The Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce , Government of Thailand .