Brussels, 19/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Council of the Union has decided to reduce the zero duty autonomous tariff quota for ferro-chrome, in order to take account of quantities reserved for South Africa in the context of the bilateral trade, development and cooperation agreement which took effect on 1 January. Initially fixed at 1,035,000 tonnes, the quota opened "erga omnes" is therefore reduced to 520,000 tonnes to avoid over-provision of the Community market and to allow South Africa to fully benefit from its specific tariff quota of 515,000 tonnes, it is specified in the regulation published in the Official Journal NoL/95 of 15 April. Thus, the EU maintains the volume of ferro-chrome imports exempted from duties at its current level, in order to cover the full need of European processing industries for this year while avoiding that the additional quantities conceded to South Africa have harmful effects on Community producers.