The undertaking by the Benelux countries to operate a tariff quota shall cease to apply as  provided in the agreement concluding the negotiations with Great Britain and at latest at the  end of the transitional period.

If the Commission finds, at the end of the transitional period or on the abolition of the tariff  quota in advance of that date, that one or more Member States are justified in charging on  imports from third countries customs du ties above the rates which would be chargeable if  harmonized with the least protective tariffs in the Community, it shall, as provided in Article  29, authorize these States to take appropriate steps of their own to afford their indirect imports  through Member States with lower tariffs the same degree of protection as that afforded by  their own tariffs to their direct imports.

To facilitate the harmonization of the tariffs, the Benelux countries agree, where the  Commission in consultation with their governments finds it necessary, to raise their present  duties on steel by up to two points. They shall not be bound to do so until the tariff quotas  provided for in the second, third and fourth paragraphs of this Article have been abolished and  until one or more of the Member States bordering on the Benelux countries forgo the  corresponding arrangements provided for in the preceding paragraph.

Article 16

Save with the agreement of the Commission, the undertaking given under Article 72 of the  Treaty shall debar Member States from binding by international agreements the customs  duties in force at the date of entry into force of the Treaty.

Earlier bindings under bilateral or multilateral agreements shall be notified to the  Commission, which shall examine whether their retention is compatible with the proper  functioning of the common arrangements and may if necessary make to Member States the  appropriate recommendations for terminating the bindings by the procedure provided in the  agreements containing them.

Article 17

Trade agreements which still have more than one year to run at the date of entry into force of  the Treaty, or which contain a clause for tacit extension, shall be notified to the Commission,  which may make to the Member State concerned appropriate recommendations for bringing  the provisions of these agreements into line where necessary with Article 75 under the  procedure provided in these agreements.

CHAPTER 2

EXPORTS

Article 18

Until such time as the provisions of the exchange control regulations of the various Member  States concerning foreign currency left at the disposal of exporters have been made uniform,  special measures must be taken to ensure that the elimination of customs duties and  quantitative restrictions between Member States does not have the effect of depriving some of

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