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OFFICIAL GAZETTE OF THE EUROPEAN COAL & STEEL COMMUNITY FIFTH YEAR No. 9 MARCH 29, 1956 Third year No. 17/18 was the first issue of the Official Gazette to be published in an English edition. Earlier issues (first year No. 1, second year Nos. 1-14 and third year Nos. 1-16) have been printed in Dutch, French, German and Italian only and are obtainable from H.M. Stationery Office at the addresses on the back cover. LONDON HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE ONE SHILLING NET \ LIST OF PUBLICATIONS ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY High Authority-English Editions Price each £ s. d. Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Com- munity 5 6 Report on the Situation of the Community, January, 1953 3 6 Speeches delivered by M. JEAN MoNNET: August, 1952 in Luxembourg and September, 1952 in Strasbourg 6 Addresses delivered by M. JEAN MONNET before the Common Assembly: January, 1953 at Strasbourg ... 6 Interventions by the President and the Members of the High Authority before the Common Assembly: January, 1953 at Strasbourg 3 6 The activities of the European Community: General Report of the High Authority (August 10, 1952 to Apri/12, 1953) 3 . 6 The establishment of the common market for steel: Special Report of the High Authority 2 6 Exchange of letters between President Eisenhower and the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the United States Congress relating to the European Coal and Steel Community and the Unification of Europe 6 Report on the problems raised by the different turnover tax systems applied within the common market . 7 0 Report on the Situation of the Community at the beginning of 1954 3 o Second General Repqrt on the activities of the Community (Aprill3,1953 to Aprilll, 1954) 7 0 Report on the Situation of the Community laid before the Extraordinary . Session of the Common Assembly (November 1954) 5 0 Third General Report on the activities of the Community (Apri/12, 1954 to Apri/10, 1955) 7 0 High Authority-German, French, Italian and Dutch_Editions only Tableau Comparatif des conditions de travail dans les industries de la Communaute: Annexe au Recueil Statistique de la Communaute ... 1 6 Bulletin Statistique: Subscription/or 1956 (6 issues) 3 15 0 Single copies 15 0 Memento de Statistiques 1954 5 0 Memento de Statistiques 1955 5 0 La Formation professionnelle dans l'Industrie_siderurgique des pays de la Communaute 15 0 (List continued on page ili of cover) OFFICIAL GAZETTE OF THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY TABLE OF CONTENTS THE HIGH AUTHORITY DECISIONS PAGE Decision No. 11/56, of March 7, 1956, concerning authorization of the joint selling of iron and steel products by the Union Commerciale de Siderurgie (" UCOSIDER ") 121 Decision No. 16/56, of March 28, 1956, concerning the authorization of zone- delivered prices for the Houilleres du Bassin de la Loire 123 Decision No. 17/56, of March 28, 1956, concerning the authorization of zone- delivered prices for the Houilleres du Bassin de Blanzy . 125 Decision No. 18/56, of March 28, 1956, concerning the authorization of zone- delivered prices for the Houilleres du Bassin d'Aquitaine 126 Decision No. 19/56, of March 28, 1956, concerning the authorization of zone- delivered prices for the Houilleres du Bassin de I' Auvergne 128 Decision No. 20/56, of March 28, 1956, concerning the authorization of zone- delivered prices for the Houilleres du Bassin du Dauphine 129 Decision No. 21/56, of March 28, 1956, concerning the authorization of zone- delivered prices for the Houilleres du Bassin des Cevennes 130 THE COMMON ASSEMBLY FINANCIAL YEAR 1955-56-SECOND EXTRAORDINARY SESSION MINUTES OF THE SITTINGS Minutes of the Sitting of Tuesday, March 13, 1956 132 Minutes of the Sitting of Wednesday, March 14, 1956. 133 Minutes of the Sitting of Thursday, March 15, 1956 135 Minutes of the Sitting of Friday, March 16, 1956 138 119 Table of Contents-continued ANNEX TO THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE- QUESTIONS AND REPLIES PAGE Question No. 29, put by M. Alain Poher, Member of the Common Assembly (February 25, 1956) . 141 Reply by the High Authority (March 23, 1956) . 141 Question No. 30, put by M. Alain Poher, Member of the Common Assembly (February 25, 1956) . 143 Reply by the High Authority (March 23, 1956) . 143 COURT OF JUSTICE OFFICIAL NOTICES Appeal filed on March 25, 1956, by the mining enterprises of the Ruhr-coal-field, forming the Geitling Ruhrkohlen Verkaufsgesellschaft mbH. (" Geitling" Ruhr-coal selling agency Ltd), Essen, against the High Authority (case 2-56) 120 THE HIGH AUTHORITY DECISIONS DECISION No. 11/56, of March 7, 1956, concerning authorization of the joint selling of iron and steel products by the Union Commerciale de Siderurgie (" UCOSIDER ") THE HIGH AUTHORITY, HAVING regard to Article 65 and 80 of the Treaty ; WHEREAS the following iron and steel enterprises : the Societe Anonyme Cockerill-Ougree, Seraing, the Societe Anonyme des Laminoirs, Hauts-Fourneaux, Forges, Fonderies et Usines de la Providence, Marchienne-au-Pont, the Societe Anonyme des Acieries et Minieres de la Sambre, Monceau sur-Sambre, the Societe Anonyme Minicre et Metallurgique de Rodange, Rodange, the Societe Anonyme des Laminoirs d' Anvers, Schooten, near Antwerp, all enterprises within the meaning of Article 80 of the Treaty, on September 15, 1955, applied, in accordance with Article 65, 2 of the Treaty, for the ~ authorization of the joint selling of a substantial part of their production ; WHEREAS such joint selling, by the terms of the draft articles of associa tion submitted to the High Authority on December. 1955, will be carried out by a new organization to be known as the Union Commerciale de Siderurgie ('' UCOSIDER "), with head-offices in Brussels ; ,WHEREAS, by the terms of these agreements, the main features of the joint-selling scheme will be as follows : (a) UCOSIDER to have the exclusive selling rights in respect of certain products and certain buyers, (b) orders to be allocated on a quota basis, (c) a uniform sales and price policy to be laid down in respect of products sold by UCOSIDER, (d) all products to be sold by UCOSIDER from a common basingpoint, and transport costs to be equalized according to the geographical position of the supplier enterprise, (e) UCOSIDER to respect directives issued by member enterprises as to prices and terms of payment, confirmation of orders and invoicing, (f) each member enterprise to have the right to withdraw at one year's notice, WHEREAS the member enterprises sell in all 2,400,000 metric tons of iron and steel products, of which 800,000 go to third countries and 1,600,000 ta the Common Market ; 121 'WHEREAS of these 1,600,000 metric tons the enterprises sell 600,000 direct, so that the quantity to be sold jointly by UCOSIDER is approximately 1,000,000 metric tons ; WHEREAS these 1,000,000 metric tons represent in all approximately 3·25% of the sales of iron and steel products by Community enterprises within the Common Market, and whereas the proportion exceeds 5% in respect of only two of the products in question, viz. hoop and strip (6·19%) and wire-rod (8·31 %) ; WHEREAS, accordingly, the corpus of arrangements proposed constitutes an agreement within the meaning of Article 65, 1 of the Treaty, inasmuch as they tend to restrict the normal operation of competition among the parties concerned, principally by means of understandings on prices and the allocation of orders on a quota basis; WHEREAS, notwithstanding, the arrangements can be authorized under Article 65, 2 of the Treaty, inasmuch as, by grouping a number of tonnages and ranges of iron and steel products in a single comprehensive sales pro gramme, the joint selling scheme will contribute to a substantial improvement in distribution ; WHEREAS, moreover, the arrangements are not more restrictive than is necessary for the purpose ; WHEREAS, however, two of the enterprises concerned in the joint-selling scheme, Cockerill-Ougree and La Providence, also control other enterprises and works not selling jointly through UCOSIDER, viz. (a) The S.A. Cockerill-Ougre. Seraing, controls the Societe Anonyme des Hauts-Fourneaux de la Chiers, whose products are not marketed by UCOSIDER, (b) La Providence, Marchienne-au-Pont, owns two groups of works in France, at Rehon, Meurthe-et-Moselle, and Hautmont, Nord, whose products, with the exception of approximately 35,000 metric tons of hoop and strip, are not marketed by UCOSIDER ; WHEREAS it is, accordingly, necessary to verify whether and to what extent, by reason of these particular circumstances, the influence exerted on the market by the enterprises covenanting to sell jointly through UCOSIDER is greater than that of those enterprises and works together would ordinarily be; WHEREAS, however, in view of conditions in the markets, and more par ticularly of locational differences and of the traditional sales connexions of the enterprises and works concerned, the production, sales and price policy of the five member enterprises of UCOSIDER is not of a nature to influence the enterprises and works not belonging to UCOSIDER but controlled by Cockerill-Ougree and La Providence ; WHEREAS, in view of all these circumstances, and in consideration more particularly of the tonnages sold by UCOSIDER in the Common Market in relation to those so sold by other enterprises, and of the traditional sales 122 connexions of the enterprises concerned in the joint-selling scheme, these arrangements are not of a nature to give those enterprises the power to determine prices, or to control or limit the production or selling of a sub stantial part of the products in question within the Common Market ; DECIDES: Article 1 (l) The joint selling of iron and steel products manufactured by (a) Cockerill-Ougree, (b) La Providence, (c) Acieries et Minieres de la Sambre, (d) Minieres et Metallurgique de Rodange, (e) Laminoirs d' Anvers, by the Union Commerciale de Siderurgie (UCOSIIDER), is hereby authorized.