. /. No. _________________ WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SECRET/20 
30 January 2004 
 (04-0350) 
 Original:   English 
  
ARTICLE XXIV:6 NEGOTIATIONS 
 
Enlargement of the European Union
 
 
Communication from the European Communities 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 19 January 2 004, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the European Communities.  
_______________ 
Notification  
by the European Communities to  
the World Trade Organization and its Members 
concerning decisions to enter into a customs union, resulting from the 
 
Enlargement of the European Union 
 
 
by the accession of 
 
 The Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of    
Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of  Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of  
Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic; 
  Pursuant to the Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XXIV GATT 1994, 
paragraph 4, incorporating the Guidelines adopted on 10 November 1980 (BISD 27S/26-28), 
paragraph 1 (the "Guidelines").  
 Following, inter alia , the decision of 14 April 2003 of the Council of the European Union on 
the admission to the European Union of the Czech Re public, the Republic of  Estonia, the Republic of  
Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lit huania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of  
Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and pending the 
finalisation of ratification procedures, the Europ ean Communities have the honour to notify the WTO 
and its Members that these states have decided to become members of the European Union on 
1 May 2004.  The Treaty of Accession is published in the Official Journal of the European Union  
L 236 of 23 September 2003.  A version subj ect to a legal disclaimer is published at: 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/ne gotiations/treaty_of_accession_2003/index.htm. 
 
 Accordingly, the European Communities hereby notifies, within the framework of procedures 
laid down in Article XXIV GATT 1994, and in partic ular paragraph 6 thereof, the withdrawal on 
1 May 2004 of the commitments in Schedule XC II Czech Republic, Schedule CXLIV Republic of 
Estonia, Schedule CVII Republic of Cyprus, Sc hedule CXLIII Republic of Latvia, Schedule CL 
Republic of Lithuania, Schedule LXXI Republic of Hungary, Schedule CXVII Republic of Malta, G/SECRET/20 
Page 2  
 
 Schedule LXV Republic of Poland, Schedul e XCVI Republic of Slovenia, Schedule  XCIII Slovak 
Republic and Schedule CXL
1 of the European Communities of 15. 
  The European Communities is  ready to enter into Artic le XXIV and XXVIII GATT 1994 
procedures including tariff negotia tions or consultations to address compensatory adjustments 
provided for under Article XXIV.6 GATT 1994. 
  The data
2 necessary for the purposes of applying Article XXIV.6 GATT 1994, as provided for 
in the Guidelines, paragraph 2, first and second  sentences, is included in the Annex of this 
notification.  In accordance with the Guidelines, pa ragraph 2, third sentence,  and paragraph 3, any 
proposed modifications or compensatory adjustments will be circulated and communicated separately.  
  The EC intends to communicate further data in  the near future to members having negotiation 
rights.  
 Pending the completion of the Article XXI V and XXVIII GATT 1994 procedures and the 
creation of a new schedule valid for the Europ ean Communities of 25, the commitments in the 
European Communities Schedule CXL will be fully respected.  The new members of the European 
Union intend to align their Schedules with those of the European Communities on 1 May 2004.   Pursuant to the Guidelines, paragraph 1, the European Communities transmits this notification 
to the Secretariat, and requests the Secretariat to di stribute this notification to all other Members in a 
secret document.  
_______________ 
  
 The above-mentioned data are available in electronic form only  on the WTO Members' 
Homepage (http://members.wto.org), go to WTO Resources
, then Market Access Schedules on Goods  
(login), and then to Other .  Download the zipped database and open using MS Access, choose your 
country to print the applicable data.  
__________ 
 
 
                                                      
1 This schedule is a total of the tariff and ot her commitments of the European Communities of 15 
circulated under cover of WTO document G/L/65/Rev.1 of 19 March 1996.  It has subsequently been modified 
by G/MA/TAR/RS/16 of 2 April 1997 (certified WT/Let/156), G/MA/TAR/RS/30 of 13 May 1997 (certified WT/Let/178), G/L/65/Rev.1/Add.2 of 21 October 1997, G/MA/TAR/RS/47 of 10 February 1998 (certified 
WT/Let/261), G/L/65/Rev.1/Add.2/Corr.1 of 10 February 1998, G/L/65/Rev.1/Add.3 of 23 November 1998, 
G/L/65/Rev.1/Add.4 of 1 July 1999, and G/L/65/Rev.1/Add.5 of 22 February 2000. 
2 Please see the bottom of the page  for more information on how to obtain the data.   The data are 
available in English only.