PART IIITRADE WITH THIRD COUNTRIES

CHAPTER IIImports

Section VSafeguard and inward processing

Article 159Safeguard measures

1

Safeguard measures against imports into the Community shall be taken by the Commission, subject to paragraph 3 of this Article, in accordance with Council Regulations (EC) No 519/9466 and (EC) No 3285/9467.

2

Save as otherwise provided for pursuant to any other act of the Council, safeguard measures against imports into the Community provided for in international agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300 of the Treaty shall be taken by the Commission in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article.

3

Measures referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 may be taken by the Commission, without the assistance of the Committee referred to in Article 195(1), at the request of a Member State or on its own initiative. If the Commission receives a request from a Member State, it shall take a decision thereon within five working days following receipt of the request.

The Member States shall be notified of such measures, which shall be immediately applicable.

Decisions taken by the Commission pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 may be referred to the Council by any Member State within five working days of the date on which they were notified. The Council shall meet without delay. It may, acting by qualified majority, amend or repeal the decision in question within one month following the date on which it was referred to the Council.

4

Where the Commission considers that any safeguard measure taken in accordance with paragraphs 1 or 2 should be revoked or amended, it shall proceed as follows:

a

where the measure was enacted by the Council, the Commission shall propose to the Council that it be revoked or amended. The Council shall act by a qualified majority;

b

in all other cases, Community safeguard measures shall be revoked or amended by the Commission without the assistance of the Committee referred to in Article 195(1).

Article 160Suspension of inward processing arrangements

1

Where the Community market is disturbed or is liable to be disturbed by inward processing arrangements, the Commission may suspend, at the request of a Member State or on its own initiative, fully or partially the use of inward processing arrangements for the products of the cereals, rice, sugar, olive oil and table olives, beef and veal, milk and milk products, pigmeat, sheepmeat and goatmeat, eggs, poultrymeat and agricultural ethyl alcohol sectors. If the Commission receives a request from a Member State, it shall take a decision thereon within five working days following receipt of the request.

The Member States shall be notified of such measures, which shall be immediately applicable.

Measures decided on by the Commission pursuant to the first subparagraph may be referred to the Council by any Member State within five working days of the date on which they were notified. The Council shall meet without delay. It may, acting by qualified majority, amend or repeal the measures in question within one month following the date on which they were referred to the Council.

2

To the extent necessary for the proper functioning of the CMO, the use of inward processing arrangements for the products referred to in paragraph 1 may be fully or partially prohibited by the Council, acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 37(2) of the Treaty.