31.12.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 395/1 | (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2265/2004 of 20 December 2004 on trade in certain steel products between the Community and the Republic of Kazakhstan 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: Article 17(1) of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Kazakhstan (*) provides that trade in certain steel products are to be subject to a specific Agreement on quantitative arrangements. The current bilateral Agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on trade in certain steel products (%) concluded on 22 July 2002 will expire on 31 December 2004. The Community has taken over the international obli- gations of the ECSC since the expiry of the ECSC Treaty, and measures relating to trade in steel products with third countries now fall under the competence of the Community in the field of trade policy. Preliminary discussions between the Parties indicate that both of them intend to conclude a new Agreement for 2005 and subsequent years. () O] L 196, 28.7.1999, p. 3. () O L 222, 19.8.2002, p. 19. ©) Pending the signature and entry into force of the new Agreement, quantitative limits for the year 2005 should be established. Given that the conditions that led to the fixing of the quantitative limits for 2004 remain in place, it is appro- priate to set the quantitative limits for 2005 at the same level as for 2004, albeit by taking fully into account the enlargement of the EU. It is necessary to provide the means to administer this regime within the Community in such a way as to facilitate the implementation of the new Agreement by envisaging as far as possible similar provisions. It is necessary to ensure that the origin of the products in question is checked and appropriate methods of admi- nistrative cooperation are set up to this end. 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. The effective application of this Regulation calls for the introduction of a requirement for a Community import licence for the entry into free circulation in the Community of the products in question.