WORLD TRADE G/SG/N/1/NOR/2
11August 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2382)
Original: English Committee onSafeguards
NOTIFICATIONS OFLAWS, REGULATIONS AND
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES RELATING
TOSAFEGUARD MEASURES
NORWAY
Thefollowingcommunication,dated20July1995,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
ofNorway.
_______________
With reference toNorway 'spreliminary notification of15March 1995 (G/SG/N/1/NOR/1)
Iampleased tosubmit theNorwegian lawaccompanied byanexplanatory noteconcerning anongoing
review ofimplementation legislation.
Norway 'sobligations under theGATT andWTO Agreements onSafeguard Measures have
beenimplemented inNorwegian legislation bymeans ofadecision made bytheStorting (national
assembly) on21December 1994. Theprovisions ofthisdecision entered intoforceon1January 1995.
Thedecision wasmade ontheunderstanding thatNorwegian lawsandregulations shallbeinterpreted
andimplemented inamanner consistent withthecorresponding rules under theWTO-Agreement.
Therules inquestion constitute section 4oftheintroductory provisions oftheNorwegian Customs
Tariff. Atranslation ofthese provisions isenclosed.
Areview ofimplemented regulations pursuant totheWTO-Agreements havedisclosed some
ambiguities intheinterpretation oftheWTO Agreement onSafeguards (cf.para.2 ofSection 4).In
thecontext oftheongoing review, clarified provisions willbeconsidered i.a.toremove these
ambiguities. Inthemeantime theunderstanding referred toabove willprevail.
Requests forsafeguard measures aredealtwithbytheMinistry ofForeign Affairs. Ifthere
aresufficientgroundsforthecomplaint,theMinistrysubmitsaproposalfortheimpositionofasafeguard
measure. Thedecision toimpose ananti-dumping orcountervailing dutyistaken bytheGovernment,
afterconsultation withtheStorting.
Adecision toimpose asafeguard measure maybeappealed byinstituting legalproceedings
intheordinary courts oflaw. According toNorwegian law,thecourts oflawmayreview decisions
bythepublic administration. Ifacourt finds thatadecision isinvalid, thecustoms duties thathave
beenerroneously collected must berepaid. Thepublic administration mayalsobeordered topay
compensation fortheinjury caused bytheinvalid decision.
According toNorwegian law,acourt mayfindadecision invalid incases where thedecision
bythepublic administration contains errors orisincomplete. Thismaybeduetolackofcompetence,G/SG/N/1/NOR/2
Page2
misuse ofpowers, theinfringement ofprocedural requirements orfactual errors which mayhaveaffected
theoutcome.
TheGovernment isevaluating certain adjustments ofthelegislation, interalia,asregards
administrative procedure andtheright ofappeal. Inthisconnection, there areplans todraw up
administrative regulations toprovide theparties involved withfurther information ontheapplication
ofthelegislation. Changes ontherightofreview willalsobeconsidered, toenhance security under
thelawfortheparties involved. Some oftheadjustments mayrequire theapproval oftheStorting,
andwilltherefore notenter intoforce before theendofthisyear.G/SG/N/1/NOR/2
Page3
Decisions bytheStorting of21December 1994
inforce asof1January 1995
Section 4.Customs-related safeguard measures.
If,asaresult ofunforeseen developments andoftheeffect oftheobligations incurred byNorway
under theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade (GATT), including tariff concessions, aproduct
isimported insuchincreased quantities andunder suchconditions astocause orthreaten serious injury
toNorwegian producers oflikeorcompetitive products, custom-related safeguard measures maybe
implemented.
IftheKingfindsthattherearelegalgrounds forimplementing suchcustoms-related safeguard
measures, hemayimpose duties pursuant tothissection foroneormore products ortypes ofproducts,
forproducts fromoneormorespecified exporters, orforproducts fromoneormorespecified countries.
Adecision toimpose duties pursuant tothissection shallbenotified without delay totheStorting
(Norwegian national assembly) withadetailed account ofthematter.