COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3568/90 of 4 December 1990 on the introduction of transitional tariff measures for Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the USSR and Yugoslavia until 31 December 1992 to take account of German unification
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 28, 43 and 113 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(2),
Whereas the Common Customs Tariff will be fully applicable to the territory of the former German Democratic Republic as from 3 October 1990, the date of German unification;
Whereas the former German Democratic Republic had concluded numerous agreements with Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the USSR and Yugoslavia which provided for a yearly exchange of specific goods in maximum quantities or to maximum values at a zero rate of duty; whereas the former German Democratic Republic had concluded long-term cooperation and investment agreements with Czechoslovakia, Poland and the USSR which will give rise to reciprocal deliveries of goods at zero rates of duty for many years to come;
Whereas agreements of the first type will not be renewed after 31 December 1990 and agreements of the second type will be renegotiated at Community, German or private enterprise level, but whereas this process of renegotiation will take some time;
Whereas the maximum quantities or values mentioned in these agreements do not entail legally binding obligations between the parties; whereas non-enforcement thereof cannot therefore give rise to any compensation by the Community;
Whereas it is necessary, therefore, during a transitional period to attenuate the impact resulting from German unification on both types of agreement as otherwise serious repercussions on enterprises in the territory of the former German Democratic Republic and in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the USSR and Yugoslavia could result and indeed the stability of the economies of these countries might be adversely affected thereby;
Whereas for these reasons it is appropriate to suspend temporarily the duties of the Common Customs Tariff for products originating in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the USSR and Yugoslavia which are covered by the abovementioned agreements betwen the former German Democratic Republic and these countries, up to the maximum quantities or values laid down therein;
Whereas the objectives of the common agricultural policy which are referred to in Article 39 of the Treaty permit the application of the principles pursued by this Regulation only to those products which are subject to a customs duty; whereas Community systems of reference prices or minimum prices and agricultural levies and other import charges imposed by market organizations must continue to apply; whereas, in view of the sensitivity of the markets, no exemption for the beef sector is possible;
Whereas it is appropriate, in view of the special circumstances of German unification, for the said suspension of duties to be applicable to the products concerned only in so far as they are put into free circulation in the territory of the former German Democratic Republic;
Whereas it is necessary to make provision for determining the origin of the goods which will be covered by the said suspension of duties;
Whereas, in view of the difficulties in applying these measures and the fact that some of their consequences are unforeseeable, it is appropriate to emphasize the
transitional character of these measures and restrict their duration to a two-year period up to 31 December 1992;
Whereas it is appropriate to provide for special measures and a procedure to put them in place, in case the temporary suspension of duties causes or threatens to cause serious injury to a branch of Community industry,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. From 3 October 1990, the date of German unification, to 31 December 1992 import duties within the meaning of Article 1 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2144/87 of
13 July 1987 on customs debt(3), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 4108/88(4), including the existing anti-dumping duties, shall be suspended for goods originating in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the USSR and Yugoslavia covered by the agreements listed in Annexes I and II concluded between those countries and the former German Democratic Republic - the essential elements of which shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities - up to the maximum quantities or values established by the said agreements.
However, as far as agricultural products which are referred to in Annex II to the Treaty are concerned, agricultural levies and other import charges imposed pursuant to the common agricultural policy will continue to be applied; where systems of reference prices or minimum import prices exist, they must be adhered to in practice.
The exemptions referred to in the first subparagraph shall not apply to beef and veal or live animals other than purebred bovine breeding animals.
2. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall be applicable only if:
the goods in question are released for free circulation in the territory of the former German Democratic Republic and are consumed there or undergo processing conferring Community origin there(5),
a licence issued by the relevant German authorities stating that the goods in question fall within the scope of the provisions contained in paragraph 1 is submitted in support of the declaration of entry for release for free circulation.
3. The Commission and the competent German authorities shall take whatever measures are needed to ensure that the final consumption of the products in question, of the processing by which they acquire Community origin, takes place in the territory of the former German Democratic Republic.
Article 2
To determine the origin of the goods referred to in
Article 1, Council Regulation (EEC) No 802/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common definition of the concept of the origin of goods(6), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1769/89(7), shall apply.
Article 3
1. If the suspension of the Common Customs Tariff duties referred to in Article 1 causes substantial injury to Community producers of like or directly competitive products in one or more Member States, the Commission may, at the request of a Member State, restore the normal duty rate for the products concerned.
Any Member State may refer any difficulties to the Commission. The Commission shall, as a matter of urgency, examine the question and submit its conclusions, possibly accompanied by appropriate measures.
2. The procedure set out in Article 11 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1765/82 of 30 June 1982 on common rules for imports from State-trading countries(8), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1243/86(9), shall be followed.
Article 4
The Commission shall report to the European Parliament and to the Council by 1 October 1991 on the operation of the system established, the quantities of the products which have benefited from it and the stage reached in the renegotiation of outstanding arrangements.
Article 5
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 4 December 1990.