L 163/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 6.6.98 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1178/98 of 5 June 1998 initiating an investigation concerning the alleged circumvention of anti- dumping measures imposed by Council Regulation (EC) No 1015/94 on imports of certain television camera systems originating in Japan and making the latter imports subject to registration 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 last amended by Regulation (EC) No 905/98 (%), and in particular Articles 13 and 14 thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: A. PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS (1)  In April 1994, the Council, by Regulation (EC) No 1015/94 (%), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1952/97 (*), imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of television camera systems (herein- after TCS) originating in Japan. The rate of the definitive anti-dumping duty amounted to 62,6 % for Sony Corporation (hereinafter ‘Sony’), to 82,9 % for Ikegami Tsushinki Co Ltd (hereinafter ‘Ikegami’) and to 52,7 % for Hitachi Denshi Ltd (hereinafter ‘Hitachi’). (2)  In October 1995, the Council, by Regulation (EC) No 2474/95 (°), amended Regulation (EC) No 1015/94, in particular as regards the like product definition and as regards certain models of profes- sional cameras explicitly exempted from the scope of the definitive anti-dumping duties. (3 In October 1997, the Council, by Regulation (EC) No 1952/97 amended the rates of the definitive anti-dumping duty for Sony Corporation to 108,3 % and Ikegami Tsushinki to 200,3 % in accordance with Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 384/96 (hereinafter ‘the Basic Regulation’). Further- more, the Council decided that certain models of professional camera should be explicitly exempted from the scope of the definitive anti-dumping duties and therefore be added to the Annex of the abovementioned Regulation (EC) No 1015/94. OJ L 56, 6. 3. 1996, p. 1. OJ L 128, 30. 4. 1998, p. 18. OJ L 111, 30. 4. 1994, p. 106. OJ L 276, 9. 10. 1997, p. 20. O] L 255, 25. 10. 1995, p. 11. ©) ) B. REQUEST The Commission has received a request pursuant to Article 13(3) of the Basic Regulation to invest- igate alleged circumvention of anti-dumping duties imposed by Regulation (EC) No 1015/94 on imports of television camera systems originating in Japan, by the importation of modules, kits, sub- assemblies and parts from Japan, which are al- legedly used to assemble television camera systems in the Community; to make imports of these modules, kits, sub-assemblies and parts subject to registration by customs authorities pursuant to Article 14(5) of the Basic Regulation; and to propose to the Council, where justified, the exten- sion of the above anti-dumping duties to the latter imports. C. APPLICANT The request has been lodged on 23 April 1998 by Philips Broadcast Television Systems bv. D. PRODUCT The product concerned by the allegation of circumvention are television camera modules, kits, sub-assemblies and parts thereof from Japan, which are used for the assembly in the European Community of television camera systems. These products are currently classified within the following CN codes ex 8529 90 72, ex 8529 90 81, ex 85421372, ex 85312059, ex 853120 80, ex 8538 10 00, ex 8539 90 91 and ex 9002 90 90. These codes are given for information only. E. EVIDENCE The request contains sufficient preliminary evidence in accordance with Article 13(3) of the Basic Regulation to initiate an investigation to examine whether the anti-dumping duties on imports of television camera systems originating in Japan are being circumvented by imports of televi- sion camera modules, kits, sub-assemblies and parts from that country, subsequently used in assembly or completion operations in the Community. The request concerns only two Japanese exporters, namely Sony and Ikegami.