Where exception is provided for by Article 5, demand shall be balanced against supply in accordance with the following procedure:
Users shall notify the Agency, by the dates and in respect of the periods fixed by it, of their requirements in respect of supplies of ores, source materials and special fissile materials.
As soon as these requirements are known, the Agency shall, by inviting tenders and indicating all relevant specifications, fix the dates by which, and the periods in respect of which, producers in the Community are invited to submit their tenders.
By submitting their tenders, producers in the Community shall be considered to have fulfilled the obligation devolving upon them pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 57 (2) of the Treaty. As soon as those tenders are received, the Agency shall decide whether it will exercise its right of option and, if it does so, the quantities that option will cover.
The Agency shall notify users of the tenders and of the number of applications it has received and shall make known to the parties concerned the terms on which their applications can be met and the procedures whereby contracts shall be concluded.