RESOLUTION OF THE ECSC CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE ECSC STATISTICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM CONCERNING EXTERNAL TRADE IN STEEL (adopted unanimously during the 337th session of 10 October 1997) (97/C 356/06)

THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ECSC,

refering to its former resolutions devoted, among other things, to the functioning of the ECSC statistical information system (in particular, to those dated 2 April 1993 (1) and 14 March 1996 (2),

- draws the Commission's attention, once more, to the serious delay with which the national customs authorities transmit statistical information on external trade in steel. Only a minority of Member States strictly respect the Commission Regulation providing for a transmission of the monthly results of their statistics on external trade 'at the latest six weeks after the end of the reference period`,

- states that the persistent delays in availability of information prevent the Community authorities and the operators in this sector from carrying out valid market analyses at Community level and forecasts of the evolution of the steel market,

- stresses the seriousness of this situation which, de facto, hinders the Community industry in having recourse in an efficient and rapid manner to the instruments of trade policy, as its external competitors do, whereas the components of the international steel market are evolving rapidly,

- recalls that the European Union represents one of the most open steel markets in the world and steel imports from third countries play a more important role in prices and quantities than in most other industries. Therefore an 'early warning` system based on a priori statistical information is necessary to enable the Community steel producers to adapt promptly their estimation of the market and also their production.

IN THIS CONTEXT, THE ECSC CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE,

- calls on the Commission to insist that all Member States transmit their complete external trade statistics within the time priod prescribed,

- reiterates its request already put to the European Commission and to the Member States not to abrogate the Community system of prior surveillance of imports of ECSC products, at least until complete normalization concerning transmission and exploitation of customs statistics.

(1) OJ C 121, 1. 5. 1993.

(2) OJ C 138, 9. 5. 1996.