17.7.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 185/1 | (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 625/2009 of 7 July 2009 on common rules for imports from certain third countries (Codified version) 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 instruments establishing the common organisation of agricultural markets and to the instruments concerning processed agricultural products adopted in pursuance of Article 308 of the Treaty, in particular the provisions of those instruments which allow for derogation from the general principle that all quantitative restrictions or measures having equivalent effect may be replaced solely by the measures provided for in those same instruments, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas: (1) Council Regulation (EC) No 519/94 of 7 March 1994 on common rules for imports from certain third coun- tries (') has been substantially amended several times (?). In the interests of clarity and rationality the said Regu- lation should be codified. (20  The common commercial policy should be based on uniform principles. (3)  Under Article 14 of the Treaty, the internal market comprises since 1 January 1993 an area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured. (4)  Completion of the common commercial policy as it pertains to rules for imports is the only means of ensuring that the rules applying to the Community’s trade with third countries correctly reflect the integration of the markets. () OJ L 67, 10.3.1994, p. 89. (3) See Annex IIL ©) Greater uniformity in the rules for imports should be achieved by laying down, as far as possible given the particular features of the economic system in the third countries in question, provisions similar to those applied under the common rules for other third countries. The common rules applicable to imports also apply to coal and steel products, without prejudice to any measures implementing an agreement relating specifically to such products. The liberalisation of imports, namely the absence of any quantitative restrictions, should therefore form the starting point for the Community rules. In the case of some products, the Commission should examine import terms and conditions, import trends, the various aspects of the economic and commercial situ- ation, and the measures, if any, to be taken. For those products, it may become apparent that there should be Community surveillance over certain of these imports. It is for the Commission and the Council to adopt the safeguard measures called for by the interests of the Community with due regard for existing international Surveillance or safeguard measures confined to one or more regions of the Community may nevertheless prove more suitable than measures applying to the whole Community. However, such measures should be authorised only exceptionally and where no alternative exists. It is necessary to ensure that such measures are temporary and cause the minimum of disruption to the (10) obligations. (11) operation of the internal market. (12) If Community surveillance is applied, release for free circulation of the products concerned should be made subject to presentation of a surveillance document