http://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2012/978/chapter/VIRegulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilRegulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008King's Printer of Acts of Parliamenthttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/eu-exit/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02012R0978-20200812texttext/xmlen2024-05-192020-08-12 CHAPTER VI <Strong>SAFEGUARD AND SURVEILLANCE PROVISIONS</Strong> SECTION I <Strong> <Emphasis>General Safeguards</Emphasis> </Strong> Article 22 1 Where a product originating in a beneficiary country of any of the preferential arrangements referred to in Article 1(2), is imported in volumes and/or at prices which cause, or threaten to cause, serious difficulties to Union producers of like or directly competing products, normal Common Customs Tariff duties on that product may be reintroduced. 2 For the purpose of this Chapter, ‘like product’ means a product which is identical, i.e. alike in all respects, to the product under consideration, or, in the absence of such a product, another product which, although not alike in all respects, has characteristics closely resembling those of the product under consideration. 3 For the purpose of this Chapter, ‘interested parties’ means those parties involved in the production, distribution and/or sale of the imports mentioned in paragraph 1 and of like or directly competing products. 4 The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 36, to establish rules related to the procedure for adopting general safeguard measures in particular with respect to deadlines, rights of parties, confidentiality, disclosure, verification, visits and review. Article 23 Serious difficulties shall be considered to exist where Union producers suffer deterioration in their economic and/or financial situation. In examining whether such deterioration exists, the Commission shall take account, inter alia, of the following factors concerning Union producers, where such information is available: market share; production; stocks; production capacity; bankruptcies; profitability; capacity utilisation; employment; imports; prices. Article 24 1 The Commission shall investigate whether the normal Common Customs Tariff duties should be reintroduced if there is sufficient prima facie evidence that the conditions of Article 22(1) are met. 2 An investigation shall be initiated upon request by a Member State, by any legal person or any association not having legal personality, acting on behalf of Union producers, or on the Commission’s own initiative if it is apparent to the Commission that there is sufficient prima facie evidence, as determined on the basis of factors referred to in Article 23, to justify such initiation. The request to initiate an investigation shall contain evidence that the conditions for imposing the safeguard measure set out in Article 22(1) are met. The request shall be submitted to the Commission. The Commission shall, as far as possible, examine the accuracy and adequacy of the evidence provided in the request to determine whether there is sufficient prima facie evidence to justify the initiation of an investigation. 3 Where it is apparent that there is sufficient prima facie evidence to justify the initiation of proceedings the Commission shall publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union. Initiation shall take place within one month of the request received pursuant to paragraph 2. Should an investigation be initiated, the notice shall provide all necessary details about the procedure and deadlines, including recourse to the Hearing Officer of the Directorate-General for Trade of the European Commission. 4 An investigation, including the procedural steps referred to in Articles 25, 26 and 27, shall be concluded within 12 months from its initiation. Article 25 On duly justified grounds of urgency relating to deterioration of the economic and/or financial situation of Union producers, and where delay might cause damage which would be difficult to repair, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt immediately applicable implementing acts in accordance with the urgency procedure referred to in Article 39(4) to reintroduce normal Common Customs Tariff duties for a period of up to 12 months. Article 26 Where the facts as finally established show that the conditions set out in Article 22(1) are met, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act to reintroduce the Common Customs Tariff duties in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 39(3). That implementing act shall enter into force within one month from the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Article 27 Where the facts as finally established show that the conditions set out in Article 22(1) are not met, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act terminating the investigation and proceedings in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 39(3). That implementing act shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The investigation shall be deemed terminated, if no implementing act is published within the period referred to in Article 24(4) and any urgent preventive measures shall automatically lapse. Any Common Customs Tariff duties collected as a result of those provisional measures shall be refunded. Article 28 Common Customs Tariff duties shall be reintroduced as long as necessary to counteract the deterioration in the economic and/or financial situation of Union producers, or as long as the threat of such deterioration persists. The period of reintroduction shall not exceed three years, unless it is extended in duly justified circumstances. SECTION II <Strong> <Emphasis>Safeguards in the Textile, Agriculture and Fisheries Sectors</Emphasis> </Strong> Article 29 1 Without prejudice to Section I of this Chapter, on 1 January of each year, the Commission, on its own initiative and in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2), shall adopt an implementing act in order to remove the tariff preferences referred to in Articles 7 and 12 with respect to the products from GSP sections S-11a and S-11b of Annex V or to products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 2207 10 00, 2207 20 00, 2909 19 10, 3814 00 90, 3820 00 00, and 3824 90 97 where imports of such products, listed respectively in Annexes V or IX, whichever is applicable, originate in a beneficiary country and their total: a increases by at least 13,5 % in quantity (by volume), as compared with the previous calendar year; or b for products under GSP sections S-11a and S-11b of Annex V, exceeds the share referred to in point 2 of Annex VI of the value of Union imports of products in GSP sections S-11a and S-11b of Annex V from all countries and territories listed in Annex II during any period of 12 months. 2 Paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply to EBA beneficiary countries, nor shall it apply to countries with a share for the relevant products referred to in Article 29(1) not exceeding 6 % of total Union imports of the same products listed in Annexes V or IX, whichever is applicable. 3 The removal of the tariff preferences shall take effect two months after the date of publication of the Commission’s act to that effect in the Official Journal of the European Union. Article 30 Without prejudice to Section I of this Chapter, where imports of products included in Annex I to the TFEU cause, or threaten to cause, serious disturbance to Union markets, in particular to one or more of the outermost regions, or these markets’ regulatory mechanisms, the Commission, on its own initiative or at the request of a Member State, after consulting the committee for the relevant agriculture or fisheries common market organisation, shall adopt an implementing act in order to suspend the preferential arrangements in respect of the products concerned in accordance with examination procedure referred to in Article 39(3). Article 31 The Commission shall inform the beneficiary country concerned as soon as possible of any decision taken in accordance with Articles 29 or 30 before it becomes effective. SECTION III <Strong> <Emphasis>Surveillance in the Agricultural and Fisheries Sectors</Emphasis> </Strong> Article 32 1 Without prejudice to Section I of this Chapter, products from Chapters 1 to 24 of the Common Customs Tariff as laid down by Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87, originating in beneficiary countries, may be subject to a special surveillance mechanism, in order to avoid disturbances to Union markets. The Commission, on its own initiative or at the request of a Member State, after consulting the committee for the relevant agriculture or fisheries common market organisation, shall adopt an implementing act, in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 39(3), on whether to apply this special surveillance mechanism, and shall determine the products to which this surveillance mechanism is to be applied. 2 Where Section I of this Chapter is applied to products in Chapters 1 to 24 of the Common Customs Tariff as laid down by Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87, originating in beneficiary countries, the period referred to in Article 24(4) of this Regulation shall be reduced to two months in the following cases: a when the beneficiary country concerned does not ensure compliance with the rules of origin or does not provide the administrative cooperation referred to in Article 21; or b when imports of products from Chapters 1 to 24 of the Common Customs Tariff as laid down by Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87, under the preferential arrangements granted under this Regulation massively exceed the usual levels of exports from the beneficiary country concerned.