Article 31

Where a product originating in a beneficiary country is imported on terms which cause, or threaten to cause, serious difficulties to a Community producer of like or directly competing products, normal Common Customs Tariff duties on that product may be reintroduced at any time at the request of a Member State or on the Commission's initiative.

Where the Commission decides to initiate an investigation, it shall publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities announcing the investigation. The notice shall state that any useful information should be sent to the Commission. It shall specify the period within which interested parties may make their views known in writing.

In examining whether there are serious difficulties, the Commission shall take account, inter alia, of the following factors concerning Community producers where the information is available:

• market share,

• production,

• stocks,

• production capacity,

• bankruptcies,

• profitability,

• capacity utilisation,

• employment,

• imports,

• prices.

The Commission shall take a decision within 30 working days of consulting the Committee.

Where exceptional circumstances requiring immediate action make an investigation impossible, the Commission may, after informing the Committee, take any preventive measure which is strictly necessary.