1. Products under prior Community surveillance may be put into free circulation only on production of an import document. Such document shall be endorsed by the competent authority designated by Member States, free of charge, for any quantity requested and within a maximum of five working days of receipt by the national competent authority of a declaration by any Community importer, regardless of his place of business in the Community. This declaration shall be deemed to have been received by the national competent authority no later than three working days after submission, unless it is proven otherwise.

2. The import document and the declaration by the importer shall be made out on a form corresponding to the model in Annex I.

Additional information to that provided for in the aforementioned form may be required. Such information shall be specified in the decision to impose surveillance.

3. The import document shall be valid throughout the Community, regardless of the Member State of issue.

4. A finding that the unit price at which the transaction is effected exceeds that indicated in the import document by less than 5 % or that the total value or quantity of the products presented for import exceeds the value or quantity given in the import document by less than 5 % shall not preclude the release for free circulation of the product in question. The Commission, having heard the opinions expressed in the Committee and taking account of the nature of the products and other special features of the transactions concerned, may fix a different percentage, which, however, should not normally exceed 10 %.

5. Import documents may be used only for such time as arrangements for liberalization of imports remain in force in respect of the transactions concerned. Such import documents may not in any event be used beyond the expiry of a period which shall be laid down at the same time and by means of the same procedure as the imposition of surveillance, and shall take account of the nature of the products and other special features of the transactions.

6. Where the decision taken pursuant to Article 11 so requires, the origin of products under Community surveillance must be proved by a certificate of origin. This paragraph shall not affect other provisions concerning the production of any such certificate.

7. Where the product under prior Community surveillance is subject to regional safeguard measures in a Member State, the import authorization granted by that Member State may replace the import document.

Article 13

Where import of a product has not been made subject to prior Community surveillance within eight working days of the end of consultations, the Commission, in accordance with Article 18, may introduce surveillance confined to imports into one or more regions of the Community.

Article 14

1. Products under regional surveillance may be put into free circulation in the region concerned only on production of an import document. Such document shall be endorsed by the competent authority designated by the Member State(s) concerned, free of charge, for any quantity requested and within a maximum of five working days of receipt by the national competent authority of a declaration by any Community importer, regardless of his place of business in the Community. This declaration shall be deemed to have been received by the national competent authority no later than three working days after submission, unless it is proven otherwise. Import documents may be used only for such time as arrangements for imports remain liberalized in respect of the transactions concerned.

2. The import document and the declaration by the importer shall be made out on a form corresponding to the model in Annex I.