1.A Member shall apply safeguard measures only to the extent necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury and to facilitate adjustment. If a quantitative restriction is use, such a measure shall not reduce the quantity of imports below the level of a recent period, which shall be the average of imports in the last three representative years for which statistics are available, unless clear justification is given that a different level is necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury. Members should choose measures most suitable for the achievement of these objectives.

2.(a) In cases in which a quota is allocated among supplying countries, the Member applying the restriction may seek agreement with respect to the allocation of shares in the quota with all other Members having a substantial interest in supplying the product concerned. In cases in which this method is not reasonably practicable, the Member concerned shall allot to Members having a substantial interest in supplying the product shares based upon the proportions, supplied by such members during a previous representative period, of the total quantity or value of imports of the product, due account being taken of any special factors which may have affected or may be affecting the trade in the product.

(b)A Member may depart from the provisions in subparagraph (a) provided that consultations under paragraph 3 of Article 12 are conducted under the auspices of the Committee on Safeguards provided for in paragraph I of Article 13 and that clear demonstration is provided to the Committee that

(i) imports from certain Members have increased in disproportionate percentage in relation to the total increase of imports of the product concerned in the representative period,

(ii) the reasons for the departure from the provisions in subparagraph (a) are justified, and

(iii) the conditions of such departure are equitable to all suppliers of the product concerned. The duration of any such measure shall not be extended beyond the initial period under paragraph I of Article 7. The departure referred to above shall not be permitted in the case of threat of serious injury.