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ISSN 1725-2423 doi:10.3000/17252423.C_2011.050.eng |
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Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50 |
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English edition |
Information and Notices |
Volume 54 |
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Notice No |
Contents |
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IV Notices |
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NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES |
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European Commission |
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2011/C 050/01 |
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2011/C 050/02 |
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2011/C 050/03 |
Decision to close the formal investigation procedure after withdrawal by Member State — State aid — Germany (Articles 107 to 109 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) — Commission notice pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU — Withdrawal of notification — State aid C 22/10 (ex N 701/09) — Aid to innovation assistants (R&D) — Germany ( 1 ) |
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Court of Auditors |
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2011/C 050/04 |
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V Announcements |
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COURT PROCEEDINGS |
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EFTA Court |
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2011/C 050/05 |
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PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMON COMMERCIAL POLICY |
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European Commission |
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2011/C 050/06 |
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2011/C 050/07 |
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PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY |
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European Commission |
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2011/C 050/08 |
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(1) Text with EEA relevance |
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EN |
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IV Notices
NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
European Commission
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17.2.2011 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50/1 |
Euro exchange rates (1)
16 February 2011
2011/C 50/01
1 euro =
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Currency |
Exchange rate |
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USD |
US dollar |
1,3510 |
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JPY |
Japanese yen |
113,12 |
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DKK |
Danish krone |
7,4563 |
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GBP |
Pound sterling |
0,84190 |
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SEK |
Swedish krona |
8,7325 |
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CHF |
Swiss franc |
1,3073 |
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ISK |
Iceland króna |
|
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NOK |
Norwegian krone |
7,8275 |
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BGN |
Bulgarian lev |
1,9558 |
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CZK |
Czech koruna |
24,325 |
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HUF |
Hungarian forint |
270,77 |
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LTL |
Lithuanian litas |
3,4528 |
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LVL |
Latvian lats |
0,7053 |
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PLN |
Polish zloty |
3,9093 |
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RON |
Romanian leu |
4,2492 |
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TRY |
Turkish lira |
2,1425 |
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AUD |
Australian dollar |
1,3507 |
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CAD |
Canadian dollar |
1,3328 |
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HKD |
Hong Kong dollar |
10,5248 |
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NZD |
New Zealand dollar |
1,7931 |
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SGD |
Singapore dollar |
1,7293 |
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KRW |
South Korean won |
1 513,00 |
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ZAR |
South African rand |
9,8147 |
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CNY |
Chinese yuan renminbi |
8,8963 |
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HRK |
Croatian kuna |
7,4080 |
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IDR |
Indonesian rupiah |
12 008,79 |
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MYR |
Malaysian ringgit |
4,1158 |
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PHP |
Philippine peso |
58,818 |
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RUB |
Russian rouble |
39,6080 |
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THB |
Thai baht |
41,395 |
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BRL |
Brazilian real |
2,2542 |
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MXN |
Mexican peso |
16,3809 |
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INR |
Indian rupee |
61,4980 |
(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.
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17.2.2011 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50/2 |
New national side of euro coins intended for circulation
2011/C 50/02
National side of the new commemorative 2-euro coin intended for circulation and issued by Spain
Euro coins intended for circulation have legal tender status throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 10 February 2009 (2), euro-area Member States and countries that have concluded a monetary agreement with the Community providing for the issuing of euro coins are allowed to issue commemorative euro coins intended for circulation, provided that certain conditions are met, particularly that only the 2-euro denomination is used. These coins have the same technical characteristics as other 2-euro coins, but their national face features a commemorative design that is highly symbolic in national or European terms.
Issuing country: Spain
Subject of commemoration: UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites — Patio de los Leones of the Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín in Granada
Description of the design: The design shows an image of the Patio de los Leones in the Alhambra in Granada. At the bottom the name of the issuing country ‘ESPAÑA’ and the year-date ‘2011’ and at the top, the mintmark.
The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.
Volume of issuance: 8 million coins
Date of issue: March 2011
(1) For the other national sides of euro circulation coins, see http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/cash/coins/index_en.htm
(2) See the conclusions of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 10 February 2009 and the Commission Recommendation of 19 December 2008 on common guidelines for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation (OJ L 9, 14.1.2009, p. 52).
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17.2.2011 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50/3 |
DECISION TO CLOSE THE FORMAL INVESTIGATION PROCEDURE AFTER WITHDRAWAL BY MEMBER STATE
State aid — Germany
(Articles 107 to 109 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union)
Commission notice pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU — Withdrawal of notification
State aid C 22/10 (ex N 701/09) — Aid to innovation assistants (R&D) — Germany
(Text with EEA relevance)
2011/C 50/03
The Commission has decided to close the formal investigation procedure under Article 108(2) of the TFEU, initiated on 29 September 2010 (1) in respect of the measure referred to above, recording that Germany has withdrawn its notification on 23 November 2010.
(1) OJ C 302, 9.11.2010, p. 24.
Court of Auditors
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17.2.2011 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50/4 |
Special Report No 11/2010 ‘The Commission’s management of General Budget Support in ACP, Latin American and Asian Countries’
2011/C 50/04
The European Court of Auditors hereby informs you that Special Report No 11/2010 ‘The Commission’s management of General Budget Support in ACP, Latin American and Asian Countries’ has just been published.
The report can be accessed for consultation or downloading on the European Court of Auditors’ website: http://www.eca.europa.eu
A hard copy version of the report may be obtained free of charge on request to the Court of Auditors:
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European Court of Auditors |
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Communication and Reports Unit |
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12, rue Alcide De Gasperi |
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1615 Luxembourg |
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LUXEMBOURG |
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Tel. +352 4398-1 |
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E-mail: euraud@eca.europa.eu |
or by filling in an electronic order form on EU-Bookshop.
V Announcements
COURT PROCEEDINGS
EFTA Court
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17.2.2011 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50/5 |
Request for an Advisory Opinion from the EFTA Court by Oslo tingrett dated 12 October 2010 in the case of Philip Morris Norway AS and Staten/Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet
(Case E-16/10)
2011/C 50/05
A request has been made to the EFTA Court by a letter of 12 October 2010 from Oslo tingrett (Oslo District Court), which was received at the Court Registry on 19 October 2010, for an Advisory Opinion in the case of Philip Morris Norway AS v Staten v/Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet, on the following questions:
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Shall Article 11 of the EEA Agreement be understood to mean that a general prohibition against the visible display of tobacco products constitutes a measure having equivalent effect to a quantitative restriction on the free movement of goods? |
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Assuming there is a restriction, which criteria would be decisive to determine whether a display prohibition, based on the objective of reduced tobacco use by the public in general and especially amongst young people, would be suitable and necessary having regard to public health? |
PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMON COMMERCIAL POLICY
European Commission
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17.2.2011 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50/6 |
Notice of initiation of a partial interim review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of sodium cyclamate originating in the People's Republic of China
2011/C 50/06
The European Commission (‘Commission’) has received a request for a partial interim review pursuant to Article 11(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 of 30 November 2009 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (1) (‘the basic Regulation’).
1. Request for review
The request was lodged by Productos Aditivos SA (‘the applicant’), the sole Union producer of sodium cyclamate.
The review is limited in scope to the examination of dumping as far as the exporting producer Golden Time Enterprise (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd is concerned (‘the exporting producer’).
2. Product
The product under review is sodium cyclamate, originating in the People's Republic of China (‘the product concerned’), currently falling within CN code ex 2929 90 00 (TARIC code 2929900010).
3. Existing measures
The measures currently in force are a definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 492/2010 (2) on imports of sodium cyclamate originating in the People's Republic of China.
4. Grounds for the review
The request pursuant to Article 11(3) is based on prima facie evidence, provided by the applicant that, as far as Golden Time Enterprise (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd is concerned, the circumstances on the basis of which the existing measures were imposed have changed and that these changes are of lasting nature.
The applicant provided prima facie evidence showing that, as far as Golden Time Enterprise (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd is concerned, the continued imposition of the measure at its current level is no longer sufficient to counteract the injurious dumping. A comparison of the exporting producer's constructed normal value and its export prices to the Union indicates that the dumping margin appears to be substantially higher than the current level of the measure.
Therefore, the continued imposition of measures at the existing level, which was based on the level of dumping previously established, appears to be no longer sufficient to offset dumping.
5. Procedure for the determination of dumping
Having determined, after consulting the Advisory Committee, that sufficient evidence exists to justify the initiation of a partial interim review, the Commission hereby initiates a review in accordance with Article 11(3) of the basic Regulation.
The investigation will assess the need for the continuation, removal or amendment of the existing measures in respect of the exporting producer.
If it is determined that measures should be removed or amended for the exporting producer, it may be necessary to amend the rate of duty currently applicable to imports of the product concerned from other companies in the People's Republic of China not specifically mentioned in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) No 492/2010.
(a) Questionnaires
In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for its investigation, the Commission will send questionnaires to the above-mentioned exporting producer and to the authorities of the exporting country concerned. This information and supporting evidence should reach the Commission within the time limit set in point 6(a)(i).
(b) Collection of information and holding of hearings
All interested parties are hereby invited to make their views known, submit information other than questionnaire replies and to provide supporting evidence. This information and supporting evidence must reach the Commission within the time limit set in point 6(a)(i).
Furthermore, the Commission may hear interested parties, provided that they make a request showing that there are particular reasons why they should be heard. This request must be made within the time limit set in point 6(a)(ii).
(c) Market economy treatment/individual treatment
In the event that the exporting producer provides sufficient evidence showing that it operates under market economy conditions, i.e. that it meets the criteria laid down in Article 2(7)(c) of the basic Regulation, normal value will be determined in accordance with Article 2(7)(b) of the basic Regulation. For this purpose, a duly substantiated claim must be submitted within the specific time limit set in point 6(b) of this notice. The Commission will send a claim form to the exporting producer as well as to the authorities of the People's Republic of China. This claim form may also be used by the exporting producer to claim individual treatment, i.e. that it meets the criteria laid down in Article 9(5) of the basic Regulation.
(d) Selection of the market economy country
In the event that the exporting producer is not granted market economy treatment, but fulfils the requirements to have an individual duty established in accordance with Article 9(5) of the basic Regulation, an appropriate market economy country will be used for the purpose of establishing normal value in respect of the People's Republic of China in accordance with Article 2(7)(a) of the basic Regulation. The Commission envisages using Indonesia again for this purpose as was done in the investigation which led to the imposition of measures on imports of the product concerned from the People's Republic of China. Interested parties are hereby invited to comment on the appropriateness of this choice within the specific time limit set in point 6(c) of this notice.
Furthermore, in the event that the exporting producer is granted market economy treatment, the Commission may, if necessary, use findings concerning the normal value established in an appropriate market economy country, e.g. for the purpose of replacing any unreliable cost or price element in the People's Republic of China which is needed in establishing the normal value, if reliable necessary data is not available in the People's Republic of China. The Commission considers using Indonesia also for this purpose.
6. Time limits
(a) General time limits
(i)
All interested parties, if their representations are to be taken into account during the investigation, must make themselves known by contacting the Commission, present their views and submit questionnaire replies or any other information within 37 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified. Attention is drawn to the fact that the exercise of most procedural rights set out in the basic Regulation depends on the party's making itself known within the aforementioned period.
(ii)
All interested parties may also apply to be heard by the Commission within the same 37-day time limit.
(b) Specific time for submission of claims for market economy treatment and/or individual treatment
The exporting producer's duly substantiated claim for market economy treatment, as mentioned in point 5(c) of this notice, must reach the Commission within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.
(c) Specific time limit for the selection of the market economy country
Parties to the investigation may wish to comment on the appropriateness of Indonesia which, as mentioned in point 5(d), is envisaged as a market-economy country for the purpose of establishing normal value in respect of the People's Republic of China. These comments must reach the Commission within 10 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.
7. Written submissions, questionnaire replies and correspondence
All submissions and requests made by interested parties must be made in writing (not in electronic format, unless otherwise specified) and must indicate the name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers of the interested party. All written submissions, including the information requested in this notice, questionnaire replies and correspondence provided by interested parties on a confidential basis shall be labelled as ‘Limited’ (3) and, in accordance with Article 19(2) of the basic Regulation, shall be accompanied by a non-confidential version, which will be labelled ‘For inspection by interested parties’.
Commission address for correspondence:
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European Commission |
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Directorate-General for Trade |
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Directorate H |
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Office: N105 04/092 |
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1049 Bruxelles/Brussel |
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BELGIQUE/BELGIË |
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Fax +32 22956505 |
8. Non-cooperation
In cases in which any interested party refuses access to or does not provide the necessary information within the time limits, or significantly impedes the investigation, findings, affirmative or negative, may be made in accordance with Article 18 of the basic Regulation, on the basis of the facts available.
Where it is found that any interested party has supplied false or misleading information, the information shall be disregarded and use may be made, in accordance with Article 18 of the basic Regulation, of the facts available. If an interested party does not cooperate or cooperates only partially, and use of facts available is made, the result may be less favourable to that party than if it had cooperated.
9. Schedule of the investigation
The investigation shall be concluded, according to Article 11(5) of the basic Regulation, within 15 months of the date of the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.
10. Processing of personal data
It is noted that any personal data collected in this investigation will be treated in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (4).
11. Hearing Officer
It is also noted that if interested parties consider that they are encountering difficulties in the exercise of their rights of defence, they may request the intervention of the Hearing Officer of Directorate-General for Trade. He acts as an interface between the interested parties and the Commission services, offering, where necessary, mediation on procedural matters affecting the protection of their interests in this proceeding, in particular with regard to issues concerning access to the file, confidentiality, extension of time limits and the treatment of written and/or oral submission of views. For further information and contact details, interested parties may consult the Hearing Officer's web pages on the website of Directorate-General for Trade (http://ec.europa.eu/trade).
(1) OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 51.
(3) This means that the document is for internal use only. It is protected pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43). It is a confidential document pursuant to Article 19 of the basic Regulation and Article 6 of the WTO Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 (Anti-dumping Agreement).
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17.2.2011 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50/9 |
Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of sodium cyclamate originating in the People's Republic of China, limited to two Chinese exporting producers, Fang Da Food Additive (Shen Zhen) Limited and Fang Da Food Additive (Yang Quan) Limited, and of initiation of a review of the anti-dumping measures on imports of sodium cyclamate originating in the People's Republic of China
2011/C 50/07
The Commission has received a complaint pursuant to Article 5 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 of 30 November 2009 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (1) (‘the basic Regulation’), alleging that imports of sodium cyclamate, originating in the People's Republic of China (‘the country concerned’) and produced by Fang Da Food Additive (Shen Zhen) Limited and Fang Da Food Additive (Yang Quan) Limited (‘the Fang Da group’ or ‘the two exporting producers concerned’), are being dumped and are thereby contributing to the material injury to the Union industry.
1. Complaint
The complaint was lodged on 3 January 2011 by Productos Aditivos SA (‘the complainant’), the sole producer in the Union of sodium cyclamate, representing 100 % of the Union production thereof.
2. Product under investigation
The product subject to this investigation is sodium cyclamate (‘the product under investigation’).
3. Allegation of dumping (2)
The product allegedly being dumped is the product under investigation, originating in the country concerned, currently falling within CN code ex 2929 90 00. This CN code is given for information only.
In the absence of reliable data on domestic prices available to the complainant in an analogue country, the allegation of dumping is based on a comparison of a constructed normal value (manufacturing costs, SG & A and profit) with the export prices (at ex-works level) of the product under investigation when sold for export to the Union.
On this basis the dumping margins calculated are significant.
4. Allegation of injury
The complainant has provided evidence that imports of the product under investigation from the country concerned as well as from the two exporting producers concerned have increased overall in absolute terms and have increased in terms of market share.
The prima facie evidence provided by the complainant shows that the volume and prices of the imported product under investigation have, among other consequences, had a negative impact on the quantities sold, the level of prices charged and the market share held by the Union industry, resulting in substantial adverse effects on the overall performance, the financial situation and the employment situation of the Union industry.
5. Procedure
Having determined, after consulting the Advisory Committee, that the complaint has been lodged by or on behalf of the Union industry and that there is sufficient evidence to justify the initiation of a proceeding, the Commission hereby initiates an investigation pursuant to Article 5 of the basic Regulation.
The investigation will determine whether the product under investigation originating in the Peoples’ Republic of China and produced by the Fang Da group is being dumped and whether this dumping has contributed to the injury to the Union industry. If the conclusions are affirmative, the investigation will examine whether the imposition of measures would not be against the Union interest.
5.1. Procedure for the determination of dumping
The two exporting producers (3) concerned of the product under investigation are invited to participate in the Commission investigation. For this purpose they have to submit a completed questionnaire containing information on, inter alia, the structure of their company(ies), the activities of the company(ies) in relation to the product under investigation, the cost of production, the sales of the product under investigation on the domestic market of the country concerned and the sales of the product under investigation to the Union.
5.1.1. Investigating exporting producers
In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for its investigation, the Commission will send questionnaires to the two exporting producers concerned of the Fang Da group and to the authorities of the People's Republic of China.
The two exporting producers concerned must submit the completed questionnaire within 37 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified.
5.1.2. Procedure with regard to exporting producers in non-market economy country concerned
5.1.2.1.
Subject to the provisions of Section 5.1.2.2 below, in accordance with Article 2(7)(a) of the basic Regulation, in the case of imports from the People's Republic of China normal value shall be determined on the basis of the price or constructed value in a market economy third country. For this purpose the Commission shall select an appropriate market economy third country. The Commission has provisionally chosen Indonesia. Interested parties are hereby invited to comment on the appropriateness of this choice within 10 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.
5.1.2.2.
In accordance with Article 2(7)(b) of the basic Regulation, the two exporting producers concerned may submit a properly substantiated claim to this effect (‘MET claim’), if they consider that market economy conditions prevail for them in respect of the manufacture and sale of the product under investigation. Market economy treatment (‘MET’) will be granted if the assessment of the MET claim shows that criteria laid down in Article 2(7)(c) of the basic Regulation (4) are fulfilled. The dumping margin of the exporting producers granted MET will be calculated, to the extent possible and without prejudice to the use of facts available pursuant to Article 18 of the basic Regulation, by using their own normal value and export prices in accordance with Article 2(7)(b) of the basic Regulation.
The two exporting producers concerned may also, or as an alternative, claim individual treatment (‘IT’). To be granted IT these exporting producers must provide evidence that they fulfil the criteria set out in Article 9(5) of the basic Regulation (5). The dumping margin of the exporting producers granted IT will be calculated on the basis of their own export prices. The normal value for exporting producers granted IT will be based on the values established for the market economy third country selected as outlined above.
(a) Market economy treatment (MET)
The Commission will send MET claim forms to the two exporting producers concerned, as well as to the authorities of the People's Republic of China. In case the two exporting producers concerned decide to claim MET, they should submit the completed MET claim form within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified.
(b) Individual treatment (IT)
To apply for IT, the two exporting producers concerned should submit the MET claim form with the sections relevant for IT duly completed within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified.
5.1.3. Investigating unrelated importers (6) (7)
In view of the potentially large number of unrelated importers involved in this proceeding and in order to complete the investigation within the statutory time limits, the Commission may limit to a reasonable number the unrelated importers that will be investigated by selecting a sample (this process is also referred to as ‘sampling’). The sampling will be carried out in accordance with Article 17 of the basic Regulation.
In order to enable the Commission to decide whether sampling is necessary and, if so, to select a sample, all unrelated importers, or representatives acting on their behalf, are hereby requested to make themselves known to the Commission. These parties should do so within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified, by providing the Commission with the following information on their company or companies:
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name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers and contact person, |
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the precise activities of the company with regard to the product under investigation, |
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the total turnover during the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010, |
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the volume in tonnes and value in euro of imports into and resales made on the Union market during the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010 of the imported product under investigation originating in the People's Republic of China and produced by the Fang Da group, |
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the names and the precise activities of all related companies (8) involved in the production and/or sales of the product under investigation, |
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any other relevant information that would assist the Commission in the selection of the sample. |
By providing the above information, the company agrees to its possible inclusion in the sample. If the company is selected to be part of the sample, this will imply completing a questionnaire and accepting a visit at its premises in order to verify its response (‘on-spot verification’). If the company indicates that it does not agree to its possible inclusion in the sample, it will be deemed not to have cooperated in the investigation. The Commission findings for non-cooperating importers are based on the facts available and the result may be less favourable to that party than if it had cooperated.
In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for the selection of the sample of unrelated importers, the Commission may also contact any known associations of importers.
All interested parties wishing to submit any other relevant information regarding the selection of the sample, excluding the information requested above, must do so within 21 days of the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified.
If a sample is necessary, the importers may be selected based on the largest representative volume of sales of the product under investigation in the Union which can reasonably be investigated within the time available. All known unrelated importers and associations of importers will be notified by the Commission of the companies selected to be in the sample.
In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for its investigation, the Commission will send questionnaires to the sampled unrelated importers and to any known association of importers. These parties must submit a completed questionnaire within 37 days from the date of the notification of the sample selection, unless otherwise specified. The completed questionnaire will contain information on, inter alia, the structure of their company(ies), the activities of the company(ies) in relation to the product under investigation and on the sales of the product under investigation.
5.2. Procedure for the determination of injury
Injury means material injury to the Union industry, or threat of material injury to the industry, or material retardation of the establishment of such an industry. A determination of injury is based on positive evidence and involves an objective determination of the volume of dumped imports, their effect on prices on the Union market and the consequent impact of those imports on the Union industry. In order to establish whether the Union industry is materially injured, Union producers of the product under investigation are invited to participate in the Commission investigation.
5.2.1. Investigating Union producers
In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for its investigation with regard to Union producers, the Commission will send questionnaires to the known Union producer. All Union producers and associations of Union producers, are invited to contact the Commission immediately by fax but no later than 15 days after the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified, in order to make themselves known and request a questionnaire.
The Union producers and the associations of Union producers must submit the completed questionnaire within 37 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified. The completed questionnaire will contain information on, inter alia, the structure of their company(ies), the financial situation of the company(ies), the activities of the company(ies) in relation to the product under investigation, the cost of production and the sales of the product under investigation.
5.3. Procedure for the assessment of Union interest
Should the existence of dumping and injury caused thereby be established, a decision will be reached as to whether the adoption of anti-dumping measures would be against the Union interest pursuant to Article 21 of the basic Regulation. Union producers, importers and their representative associations, users and their representative associations and representative consumer organisations are invited to make themselves known within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified. In order to participate in the investigation, the representative consumer organisations have to demonstrate, within the same deadline, that there is an objective link between their activities and the product under investigation.
Parties that make themselves known within the above deadline may provide the Commission with information on whether the imposition of measures would not be against the Union interest within 37 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified. This information may be provided either in a free format or by completing a questionnaire prepared by the Commission. In any case, information submitted pursuant to Article 21 will only be taken into account if supported by factual evidence at the time of submission.
5.4. Other written submissions
Subject to the provisions of this notice, all interested parties are hereby invited to make their views known, submit information and provide supporting evidence. Unless otherwise specified, this information and supporting evidence should reach the Commission within 37 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.
5.5. Possibility to be heard by the Commission investigation services
All interested parties may request to be heard by the Commission investigation services. Any request to be heard should be made in writing and should specify the reasons for the request. For hearings on issues pertaining to the initial stage of the investigation the request must be submitted within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union. Thereafter, a request to be heard should be submitted within the specific deadlines set by the Commission in its communication with the parties.
5.6. Procedure for making written submissions and sending completed questionnaires and correspondence
All submissions, including information submitted for the selection of the sample, completed MET claim forms, completed questionnaires and updates thereof, made by interested parties must be made in writing in both paper and electronic format, and must indicate the name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers of the interested party. If an interested party cannot provide its submissions and requests in electronic format for technical reasons, it must immediately inform the Commission.
All written submissions, including the information requested in this notice, completed questionnaires and correspondence provided by interested parties for which confidential treatment is requested shall be labelled ‘Limited’ (9).
Interested parties providing ‘Limited’ information are required to furnish non-confidential summaries of it pursuant to Article 19(2) of the basic Regulation, which will be labelled ‘For inspection by interested parties’. These summaries should be sufficiently detailed to permit a reasonable understanding of the substance of the information submitted in confidence. If an interested party providing confidential information does not furnish a non-confidential summary of it in the requested format and quality, such confidential information may be disregarded.
Commission address for correspondence:
|
European Commission |
|
Directorate-General for Trade |
|
Directorate H |
|
Office: N105 04/092 |
|
1049 Bruxelles/Brussel |
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BELGIQUE/BELGIË |
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Fax +32 22956505 |
6. Non-cooperation
In cases where any interested party refuses access to or does not provide the necessary information within the time limits, or significantly impedes the investigation, provisional or final findings, affirmative or negative, may be made on the basis of facts available, in accordance with Article 18 of the basic Regulation.
Where it is found that any interested party has supplied false or misleading information, the information may be disregarded and use may be made of facts available.
If an interested party does not cooperate or cooperates only partially and findings are therefore based on facts available in accordance with Article 18 of the basic Regulation, the result may be less favourable to that party than if it had cooperated.
7. Hearing Officer
Interested parties may request the intervention of the Hearing Officer of Trade DG. The Hearing Officer acts as an interface between the interested parties and the Commission investigation services. The Hearing Officer reviews requests for access to the file, disputes on the confidentiality of documents, requests for extension of time limits and requests by third parties to be heard. The Hearing Officer may organise a hearing with an individual interested party and mediate to ensure that the interested parties’ rights of defence are being fully exercised.
A request for a hearing with the Hearing Officer should be made in writing and should specify the reasons for the request. For hearings on issues pertaining to the initial stage of the investigation the request must be submitted within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union. Thereafter, a request to be heard must be submitted within specific deadlines set by the Commission in its communication with the parties.
The Hearing Officer will also provide opportunities for a hearing involving parties to take place which would allow different views to be presented and rebuttal arguments offered on issues pertaining, among others, to dumping, injury, causal link and Union interest. Such a hearing would, as a rule, take place at the latest at the end of the fourth week following the disclosure of provisional findings.
For further information and contact details interested parties may consult the Hearing Officer's web pages on Trade DG's website: (http://ec.europa.eu/trade).
8. Schedule of the investigation
The investigation will be concluded, according to Article 6(9) of the basic Regulation, within 15 months of the date of the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union. According to Article 7(1) of the basic Regulation, provisional measures may be imposed no later than 9 months from the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.
9. Review of existing measures
By Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 492/2010, a definitive anti-dumping duty was imposed on imports of sodium cyclamate originating in the People's Republic of China and Indonesia, currently falling within CN code ex 2929 90 00 (TARIC code 2929900010). The duty rate for companies of the Fang Da group was EUR 0 per kilogramme.
In light of the report of the Appellate Body of the WTO in Mexico — Beef and Rice (10), the continued imposition of the measures imposed on the Fang Da group by Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 492/2010 is no longer appropriate and Implementing Regulation (EU) No 492/2010 should be amended accordingly. A review should thus be opened as regards Regulation (EU) No 492/2010 in order to allow any amendment necessary in the light of the Mexico — Beef and Rice Appellate Body report.
Therefore, the Commission hereby initiates, pursuant to Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1515/2001, a review of Regulation (EU) No 492/2010.
10. Processing of personal data
Any personal data collected in this investigation will be treated in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (11).
(1) OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 51.
(2) Dumping is the practice of selling a product for export (‘the product concerned’) at a price below its ‘normal value’. The normal value is usually taken to be a comparable price for the ‘like’ product on the domestic market of the exporting country. The term ‘like product’ is interpreted to mean a product which is alike in all respects to the product concerned or, in the absence of such a product, a product which closely resembles the product.
(3) An exporting producer is any company in the country concerned which produces and exports the product under investigation to the Union market, either directly or via third party, including any of its related companies involved in the production, domestic sales or exports of the product concerned. Non-producing exporters are normally not entitled to an individual duty rate.
(4) The exporting producers have to demonstrate in particular that: (i) business decisions and costs are made in response to market conditions and without significant State interference; (ii) firms have one clear set of basic accounting records which are independently audited in line with international accounting standards and are applied for all purposes; (iii) there are no significant distortions carried over from the former non-market economy system; (iv) bankruptcy and property laws guarantee legal certainty and stability; and (v) exchange rate conversions are carried out at market rates.
(5) The exporting producers have to demonstrate in particular that: (i) in the case of wholly or partly foreign owned firms or joint ventures, exporters are free to repatriate capital and profits; (ii) export prices and quantities and conditions and terms of sale are freely determined; (iii) the majority of the shares belong to private persons. State officials appearing on the Board of Directors or holding key management positions shall either be in a minority or it must be demonstrated that the company is nonetheless sufficiently independent from State interference; (iv) exchange rate conversions are carried out at the market rate; and (v) State interference is not such as to permit circumvention of measures if individual exporters are given different rates of duty.
(6) Only importers not related to exporting producers can be sampled. Importers that are related to exporting producers have to fill in Annex 1 to the questionnaire for these exporting producers. For the definition of a related party see footnote 8.
(7) The data provided by unrelated importers may also be used in relation to aspects of this investigation other than the determination of dumping.
(8) In accordance with Article 143 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 concerning the implementation of the Community Customs Code, persons shall be deemed to be related only if: (a) they are officers or directors of one another's businesses; (b) they are legally recognised partners in business; (c) they are employer and employee; (d) any person directly or indirectly owns, controls or holds 5 % or more of the outstanding voting stock or shares of both of them; (e) one of them directly or indirectly controls the other; (f) both of them are directly or indirectly controlled by a third person; (g) together they directly or indirectly control a third person; or (h) they are members of the same family. Persons shall be deemed to be members of the same family only if they stand in any of the following relationships to one another: (i) husband and wife; (ii) parent and child; (iii) brother and sister (whether by whole or half blood); (iv) grandparent and grandchild; (v) uncle or aunt and nephew or niece; (vi) parent-in-law and son-in-law or daughter-in-law; (vii) brother-in-law and sister-in-law (OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1). In this context ‘person’ means any natural or legal person.
(9) This document is a confidential document pursuant to Article 19 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 (OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 51) and Article 6 of the WTO Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 (Anti-Dumping Agreement). It is also a document protected pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43).
(10) Mexico — Definitive Anti-dumping Measures on Beef and Rice, Report of the Appellate Body, WT/DS295/AB/R, 29 November 2005.
PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY
European Commission
|
17.2.2011 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 50/14 |
DECISION No 889
of 20 December 2010
opening a procedure for granting authorisation for the prospection and exploration of oil and natural gas, being underground natural resources as defined in Article 2(1)(3) of the Underground Natural Resources Act, in ‘Block 5 Byala’, located in Ruse, Targovishte and Veliko Tarnovo provinces, and announcing that authorisation will be granted on the basis of a competitive bidding procedure
2011/C 50/08
REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
Pursuant to Article 5, subparagraph 2, Article 42(1)(1) and Article 44(3) of the Underground Natural Resources Act, in conjunction with Article 4(2)(16) and Section 1(24a) of the Energy Act,
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
|
1. |
A procedure shall be opened for granting authorisation for the prospection and exploration of oil and natural gas in ‘Block 5 Byala’, located in Ruse, Targovishte and Veliko Tarnovo provinces, having a surface area of 2 042 km2 and defined by coordinates 1 to 4, as specified in the Annex. |
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2. |
The authorisation referred to in point 1 shall be granted on the basis of a competitive bidding procedure. |
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3. |
The authorisation period for prospection and exploration shall be set at five years from the date on which the prospection and exploration agreement enters into force, with a right to extend this period pursuant to Article 31(3) of the Underground Natural Resources Act. |
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4. |
The deadline for purchasing the bidding dossier shall be 17:00 on the 120th day following the publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union. |
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5. |
The deadline for submitting applications to take part in the competitive bidding procedure shall be 17:00 on the 130th day following the publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union. |
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6. |
The deadline for submitting bids in accordance with the bidding dossier shall be 17:00 on the 144th day following the publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union. |
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7. |
Bidders shall not be present when bids are considered. |
|
8. |
The price of the bidding dossier shall be set at BGN 15 000. The bidding dossier is to be purchased from Room 813 at the Ministry of the Economy, Energy and Tourism at the following address: ul. Triaditsa 8, Sofia, by the deadline specified in point 4. |
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9. |
Applicants wishing to take part in the competitive bidding procedure must comply with the requirements of Article 23(1) of the Underground Natural Resources Act. |
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10. |
Bids shall be evaluated on the basis of the proposed work programmes, resources devoted to environmental protection, bonuses, training, and managerial and financial capacities, as provided for in the bidding dossier. |
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11. |
The deposit for participation in the competitive bidding procedure shall be set at BGN 20 000, payable by the deadline specified in point 5 into the bank account of the Ministry of the Economy, Energy and Tourism indicated in the bidding dossier. |
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12. |
Applicants who are not admitted to the competitive bidding procedure shall have their deposits reimbursed within 14 days after being informed that they have not been admitted. |
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13. |
The successful bidder’s deposit shall be reimbursed after the agreement has been signed, and the other bidders’ deposits shall be reimbursed within 14 days following the publication in the State Gazette of the Council of Ministers’ decision to grant authorisation for prospection and exploration. |
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14. |
Applications to take part in the competitive bidding procedure and bids under the competitive bidding procedure shall be submitted to the Ministry of the Economy, Energy and Tourism at: ul. Triaditsa 8, Sofia, in Bulgarian, in accordance with the requirements of Article 46 of the Underground Natural Resources Act. |
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15. |
Bids shall comply with the requirements and conditions specified in the bidding dossier. |
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16. |
The competitive bidding procedure shall take place even if only one applicant is admitted to take part in it. |
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17. |
The mineral exploration activities shall be carried out after an assessment by the relevant competent authority of the compatibility of the annual work plans for prospection and exploration. |
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18. |
The Minister for the Economy, Energy and Tourism is authorised to:
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|
19. |
Appeals against this Decision may be lodged with the Supreme Administrative Court within 14 days following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. |
For the Prime Minister
Tsvetan TSVETANOV
Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers
Rosen ZHELYAZKOV
Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Economy, Energy and Tourism
Vladimir TUDZHAROV
For the Director of the Legal Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of the Economy, Energy and Tourism
Ilona STOYKOVA
ANNEX
referred to in point 1 of Decision No 889 of 20 December 2010
LIST OF COORDINATES
WGS 84 coordinate system
|
No |
Longitude |
Latitude |
|
1 |
25,4671 |
43,6372 |
|
State border |
||
|
2 |
26,0000 |
43,8827 |
|
3 |
26,0000 |
43,2964 |
|
4 |
25,4759 |
43,2918 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total area — S = 2 042 km2 |
||