17.11.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 300/1 | (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1342/2007 of 22 October 2007 on administering certain restrictions on imports of certain steel products from the Russian Federation THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas: The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Russian Federation (1), hereinafter referred to as ‘the PCA’, entered into force on 1 December 1997. Article 21(1) of the PCA provides that trade in certain steel products shall be governed by Title I of that Agreement, with the exception of Article 15 thereof, and by the provisions of an agreement on quantitative arrangements. On 26 October 2007, the European Community and the Russian Federation concluded, in that connection, an Agreement on trade in certain steel products (), here- inafter referred to as ‘the Agreement. It is necessary to provide the means to administer the terms of the Agreement within the Community, taking into account the experience gained from previous Agreements concerning a similar regime. () O] L 327, 28.11.1997, p. 3. (3) See page 52 of this Official Journal. ©) It is appropriate to classify the products in question on the basis of the combined nomenclature (CN) established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (3). It is necessary to ensure that the origin of the products in question is checked and that appropriate methods of administrative cooperation are set up to that end. The effective application of the Agreement requires the introduction of a requirement of a Community import licence for the entry into free circulation in the Community of the products in question together with a system for administering the granting of such Community import licences. Products placed in a free zone or imported under the arrangements governing customs warehouses, temporary importation or inward processing (suspension system) should not be counted against the limits established for the products in question. In order to ensure that the quantitative limits are not exceeded, it is necessary to establish a management procedure whereby the competent authorities of the Member States will not issue import licences before obtaining prior confirmation from the Commission that appropriate amounts remain available within the quanti- tative limit in question. () OJ L 256, 7.9.1987, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 733/2007 (OJ L 169, 29.6.2007, p. 1).