PART TWO

Relations between the Community and third countries

CHAPTER 1

NEGOTIATIONS WITH THIRD COUNTRIES

Article 14

Once the Commission has taken office, Member States shall open negotiations with the  governments of third countries, and in particular with the British Government, on the whole  range of economic and commercial relations concerning coal and steel between the  Community and these countries. In these negotiations the Commission shall act, upon  instructions unanimously agreed by the Council, for the Member States jointly. Representatives of Member States may be present at the negotiations.

Article 15

In order to leave Member States entirely free to negotiate concessions from third countries,  including in particular concessions in return for a lowering of customs duties on steel so as to  harmonize with the least protective tariffs in the Community, Member States agree to the  following arrangements, to take effect upon the establishment of the common market in steel:

• The Benelux countries shall continue to charge on products which are imported from  third countries under tariff quotas and are bound for their own home markets the duties  which they are charging at the date of entry into force of the Treaty;
• On imports in excess of the quota which are deemed to be bound for other Community  countries, they shall charge duties equal to the lowest duty being applied in the other  Member States, by reference to the Brussels Nomenclature of 1950, at the date of entry  into force of the Treaty.

The tariff quota for each heading of the Benelux customs tariff shall be fixed by the  governments of the Benelux countries, in agreement with the Commission, for a year at a time  subject to quarterly revision, taking into account movements in demand and in trade flows. The initial quotas shall be fixed on the basis of the average imports of the Benelux countries  from third countries over an appropriate reference period, account being taken where  necessary of any intended change from importation to home production as newly installed  capacity comes into service. Any imports in excess of the quota in response to unforeseen  demand shall be notified forthwith to the Commission, which; should it find that shipments  from the Benelux countries to other Member States show a substantial increase accounted for  entirely by the importation of tonnages in excess of the quota, may prohibit such importation  unless temporary controls are imposed on these shipments. Benelux importers shall be  entitled to pay the lowest rate of duty only if they undertake not to re export the products in  question to other Community countries.

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