____________________________________
Request for observing the Information
Technology Agreement (ITA) on theIT products eligible for theduty-free treatment
Cologne, 23 September, 2008
The industry associations would like to request theEuropean Communities (EC):1) to fairly observe the concessions granted by the EC
following the Information Technology Agreement (ITA)of the World Trade Organization pursuant to which
the EC committed to eliminate duties and othercharges on all Information Technology (IT) products
listed in the Annexes to the ITA.
2) not to arbitrarily and unilaterally adopt classification
decisions concerning IT products which result in theapplication of dutiable treatment on those products.
As well-known in the worldwide trade area, on 28 May,
2008, the U.S. and Japan made a formal consultation
request at WTO against the EC concerning the tariff
treatment the EC applies on certain IT products (i.e.
set-top boxes, flat-panel displays and digital
multi-function machines). Taiwan also submitted asimilar consultation request. Furthermore, Singapore,
China and the Philippines requested joining theconsultations as third parties.
We believe such requests clearly reflect the fact that theEC has arbitrarily and unilaterally decided toreclassify certain IT products and, as a result, apply animport duty on them, thereby acting inconsistently
with the EC’s obligations under GATT 1994 Articles
Τ:1(a) and Τ:1(b) for the above three products as wellas under GATT 1994 Articles ά:1 and ά:2 for set-topboxes.

㩷FOTOMKEWe will continue to express, as we have done before, ourconcerns and to make claims regarding the invalidity of
any relevant actions in the trade area so that theduty-free treatment applicable to IT products pursuant
to the ITA can be maintained and secured.
Finally, the EC has on 15 September, 2008 presented
the WTO with a proposal to update and expand productcoverage of the ITA taking account of rapid technologicalinnovation and convergence. We will also keep paying
our most careful attention to ensure that any proposal tore-negotiate the ITA does not invalidate the concessions
already granted to IT products. The EC has illegallyeroded those concessions through the above mentioned
unilateral and arbitrary classification decisions. Suchinfringement of the existing concessions must be
remedied independently of any negotiations of the ITA
for the future.
- end _____________________________________________________________________________
1. Asociacia Dovozcov Audiovizualnej Techniky (ADAT, Slovakia), 2. Associazione
Italiana Foto & Digital Imaging (AIF, Italy), 3. Associacao Empresarial das
Sectores Electrico, Electrodomestico, Fotografico e Electronico (AGEFE, Portugal),
4. Asociatia Producatorilor si Distribuitorilor de Echipamente de Technologia
Informatiei si comunicatiilor (APDETIC, Romania), 5. Bulgarian Association ofInformation Technologies (bait, Bulgaria), 6. Camera & Imaging Products
Association (CIPA, Japan), 7. The Association of Electronics Wholesalers (Finland),8. European Photo and Imaging Association (EPIA, Pan-Europe), 9. Association of
the Hungarian Representatives of the Photo machineries Manufacturers(FOTOMKE, Hungary), 10. Fotobranchens Leverandorforening (Denmark), 11.
International Imaging Industry Association (i3a, USA), 12. Photo Imaging Council(pic, UK), 13. Photoindustie-Verband e.V. (PIV, Germany), 14. Sindycat desEnterprises de L’image de la Photo et de la Communication (SIPEC, France), 15.
Svaz Obchodu a Cestovniho Ruchu Cr – Czech Confederation of Commerce andTourism (Czech), 16. Photo Marketing Association International (PMA, USA), 17.
Greek Manufacturers, Distributors & Dealers of Photo Products and Image
Systems Association (SEKAF, Greece), 18. Photographic Arts Federation of Turkey(TFSF, Turkey), 19. ZIPSEE (Poland), 20. Elektronik Branschen (Sweden)_____________________________________________________________________________For further information contact: info@cipa.jp