13.1.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L71 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) REGULATION (EC) No 48/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 5 December 2003 on the production of annual Community statistics on the steel industry for the reference years 2003-2009 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO- PEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Article 285(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (!), Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (), Whereas: (1)  The statistics on the steel industry were based on the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Com- munity (ECSC) which came to an end on 23 July 2002. (2)  Regulation (EC) No 1840/2002 (*) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 September 2002 was adopted to ensure the prolongation until 31 December 2002 of the ECSC steel statistics system after the expiry of the ECSC Treaty. (3) It is necessary to continue collecting statistics on the steel industry in order to implement future Community policies on the steel industry. No other existing statistical system at a European level is able to satisfy the need for such statistics. A new Regulation based on the EC Treaty is therefore needed on the collection of Community statistics on the steel industry. (4)  Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February 1997 on Community Statistics () constitutes the refer- ence framework for the provisions of this Regulation. (5) A transitional phase running from 2003 to 2009 is needed to determine whether steel statistics can be inte- grated into other statistical systems. (6)  Enterprises in the steel industry need worldwide infor- mation on investment and capacity in order to assess possible future undercapacity or overcapacity for par- () OJ C 45 E, 25.2.2003, p. 154. () O] C 133, 6.6.2003, p. 88. () Opinion of the European Parliament of 13 May 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 17 November 2003. () OJL 279, 17.10.2002, p. 1. () OJ L 52,22.2.1997, p. 1. ticular classes of steel products. Community statistics on investment and capacity contribute to a global network of information on world steel capacity, organised under the auspices of the OECD. (7)  Statistics on energy consumption in the steel industry yield information not only on energy use and produc- tion within the steel industry but indirectly also on emis- sion of pollutants. (8)  Statistics on the availability of stocks of iron and steel scrap are needed to monitor the use of this important raw material for steel making. (99 The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (°). (10) The Statistical Programme Committee has been consulted in accordance with Article 3 of Council Deci- sion 89/382[EEC, Euratom ('), HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Objective The objective of this Regulation is to establish a common framework for the systematic production of Community statis- tics on the steel industry for the reference years 2003-2009. Atticle 2 Definitions For the purpose of this Regulation, the terms ‘Community statistics’ and ‘production of statistics’ shall bear the meanings given to them by Regulation (EC) No 322/97. () OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. () OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.