Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 16 December 2015 —
VTZ and Others v Council

(Case T‑108/13)

Dumping — Imports of certain seamless pipes and tubes of iron or steel originating in Russia — Definitive anti-dumping duty — Product concerned

1.                     Common commercial policy — Protection against dumping — Discretion of the institutions — Judicial review — Limits — Examination of assessments by reference to the information available at the time they were made (Council Regulations No 1225/2009, No 585/2012 and No 1269/2012) (see paras 34-36, 39, 91)

2.                     Customs union — Common Customs Tariff — Tariff headings — Classification of goods — Criteria — Characteristics and objective properties (see para. 45)

3.                     Customs union — Common Customs Tariff — Tariff headings — Interpretation — Explanatory notes to the combined nomenclature — No binding force — Explanatory notes having to conform to the provisions of the combined nomenclature (Council Regulation No 2658/87, Annex I, as amended by Commission Regulation No 1006/2011) (see paras 46, 60-62, 78, 80)

4.                     EU law — Interpretation — Taking account of the context and usual meaning of the terms — Texts in several languages — Differences between the various language versions — Account to be taken of the overall scheme and purpose of the legislation in question (see paras 63, 64)

5.                     Customs union — Common Customs Tariff — Tariff headings — Subheadings 7304 39 10 and 7304 59 10 — Concept of raw product — Interpretation — Explanatory notes to the combined nomenclature — Not exhaustive (Council Regulation No 2658/87, Annex I, as amended by Commission Regulation No 1006/2011) (see paras 67-86, 116)

6.                     Customs union — Common Customs Tariff — Tariff headings — Subheadings 7304 39 10 and 7304 59 10 — Concept of raw product — Interpretation — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 2658/87, Annex I, as amended by Commission Regulation No 1006/2011) (see paras 105, 106, 109, 111-115, 118, 128-148)

7.                     Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope (Art. 296 TFEU) (see paras 156, 157)

Re:

APPLICATION for partial annulment of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1269/2012 of 21 December 2012 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 585/2012 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain seamless steel pipes, of iron or steel, originating, inter alia, in Russia, following a partial interim review pursuant to Article 11(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 (OJ 2012 L 357, p. 1).

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the application in its entirety;

2. Orders Volžskij trubnyi zavod OAO (VTZ OAO), Taganrogskij metallurgičeskij zavod OAO (Tagmet OAO), Sinarskij trubnyj zavod OAO (SinTZ OAO) and Severskij trubnyj zavod OAO (STZ OAO) to bear their own costs and to pay those of the Council of the European Union and those of ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Ostrava a.s., Benteler Steel/Tube GmbH, Dalmine SpA, Productos Tubulares, SA, Rohrwerk Maxhütte GmbH, ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Roman SA, Silcotub SA, Tubos Reunidos Industrial, SL, V & M Deutschland GmbH, V & M France, Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France, and voestalpine Tubular GmbH & Co. KG;

3. Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.