Article 1

An investigation is hereby initiated pursuant to Article 13(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96, in order to determine if imports into the Community of certain ring binder mechanisms (consisting of two rectangular steel sheets or wires with at least four half rings made of steel wire fixed on it and which are kept together by a steel cover and can be opened either by pulling the half rings or with a small steel-made trigger mechanism fixed to the ring binder mechanism), falling within CN code ex 8305 10 00 (TARIC codes 8305 10 00 12, 8305 10 00 22 and 8305 10 00 32) consigned from Thailand, whether slightly modified or not and whether declared as originating in Thailand or not, and of certain slightly modified ring binder mechanisms falling within CN code ex 8305 10 00 (TARIC 8305 10 00 32 and 8305 10 00 39) originating in the People's Republic of China are circumventing the measures imposed by Regulation (EC) No 2074/2004.