1. The duration of safeguard measures must be limited to the period of time necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury and to facilitate adjustment on the part of Community producers. The period should not exceed four years, including the duration of any provisional measure.

2. Such initial period may be extended, except in the case of the measures referred to in Article 16 (4) (b), provided it is determined that:

- the safeguard measure continues to be necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury,

- and there is evidence that Community producers are adjusting.

3. Extensions shall be adopted in accordance with the terms of Title III and using the same producers as the initial measures. A measure so extended shall not be more restrictive than it was at the end of the initial period.

4. If the duration of the measure exceeds one year, the measure must be progressively liberalized at regular intervals during the period of application, including the period of extension.

5. The total period of application of a safeguard measure, including the period of application of any provisional measures, the initial period of application and any prorogation thereof, may not exceed eight years.

Article 21

1. While any surveillance or safeguard measure applied in accordance with Titles IV and V is in operation, consultations shall be held within the Committee, either at the request of a Member State or on the initiative of the Commission. If the duration of a safeguard measure exceeds three years, the Commission shall seek such consultations no later than the mid-point of the period of application of that measure. The purpose of such consultations shall be:

(a) to examine the effects of the measure;

(b) to determine whether and in what manner it is appropriate to accelerate the pace of liberalization;

? To ascertain whether its application is still necessary.

2. Where, as a result of the consultations referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission considers that any surveillance or safeguard measure referred to in Articles 11, 13, 16, 17 and 18 should be revoked or amended, it shall proceed as follows:

(a) where the measure was enacted by the Council, the Commission shall propose to the Council that it be revoked or amended. The Council shall act by a qualified majority;

(b) in all other cases, the Commission shall amend or revoke Community safeguard and surveillance measures.

Where the decision relates to regional surveillance measures, it shall apply from the sixth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Article 22

1. Where imports of a product have already been subject to a safeguard measure no further such measure shall be applied to that product until a period equal to the duration of the previous measure has elapsed. Such period shall not be less than two years.

2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, a safeguard measure of 180 days or less may be reimposed for a product if:

(a) at least one year has elapsed since the date of introduction of a safeguard measure on the import of that product; and

(b) such a safeguard measure has not been applied to the same product more than twice in the five-year period immediately preceding the date of introduction of the measure.

TITLE VI Final provisions

Article 23