Brussels, 01/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has availed itself of a regulatory mechanism that is necessary for extending and administering the double-checking system, without quantitative limits, in respect of certain steel products from Russia. The system had been introduced in 1997 in the context of the bilateral partnership and cooperation agreement. The EU has thus published the application regulation in the Official Journal L216, as well as the Council's decision and the agreement in the form of an exchange of letters relating to checks that will take effect mid-September and will be applied until 31 December 2004, "unless both parties agree to terminate the system earlier".