7.5.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 133/23 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 24 April 1998 rejecting the application submitted by Renak International GmbH (Germany) for an exemption pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 88/97 from the anti-dumping duty extended to certain bicycle parts originating in the People’s Republic of China (98/299/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96 of 22 December 1995 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community ('), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 2331/ 96 (), Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 71/97 of 10 January 1997 extending the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Regulation (EEC) No 2474/93 on bicycles originating in the People’s Republic of China to imports of certain bicycle parts from the People’s Republic of China, and levying the extended duty on such imports registered pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 703/96 (%), Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 88/97 of 20 January 1997 on the authorisation of the exemption of imports of certain bicycle parts originating in the People’s Republic of China from the extension by Council Regulation (EC) No 71/97 of the anti-dumping duty imposed by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2474/ 93 (*), and in particular Article 7(3) thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: A. PROCEDURE (1) By Council Regulation (EC) 71/97, the definitive duty imposed on imports of bicycles originating in the People’s Republic of China by Regulation (EC) No 2474/93 was extended to imports of certain () OJ L 56, 6. 3. 1996, p. 1. () OJ L 317, 6. 12. 1996, p. 1. () OJ L 16, 18. 1. 1997, p. SS. (9 O L 17, 21. 1. 1997, p. 17. bicycle parts from that country (hereinafter referred to as ‘the extended anti-dumping duty’). On 4 April 1997, Renak International GmbH (hereinafter: ‘Renak International’) asked to be exempted from the extended anti-dumping duty pursuant to Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 88/97, and was suspended from payment of the duty as from that date. In order to ascertain whether Renak International’s operations fell within the scope of Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 384/96 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Basic Regulation’), thus circumventing the measures in force, the Commission requested the necessary information from the company and veri- fied it at its premises. The investigation period therefore ran from 1 August 1996 to 31 January 1997. B. RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION 1. Conditions of Article 13(2) of the Basic Regulation (a) Start or substantial increase of operations Renak International was acquired by a Chinese bicycle manufacturer in 1993 and started its bicycle assembly operations in June 1995, after the original investigation of imports of bicycles originating in the People’s Republic of China. (b) 60 % of the total value of the parts consti- tuting the assembled product It was established that the proportion of Chinese parts used in the company’s assembly operations averaged 69 % of the total value of the parts used in the assembly of bicycles.