1987D0595 — EN — 30.11.1987 — 000.001

This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents

Amended by:

Official Journal No page date ►M1 Council Decision of 30 October 1989 L 322 23 7.11.1989

▼B

COUNCIL DECISION

of 30 November 1987

accepting, on behalf of the Community, the Recommendation of the Customs Cooperation Council of 22 May 1984 concerning the use of codes for the representation of data elements and four of its Annexes

(87/595/EEC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, ▼M1 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 113 thereof, ▼B Having regard to the Proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ( 1 ), Whereas the Customs Cooperation Council Recommendation of 22 May 1984 is intended to facilitate the interchange of data between customs administrations and between such administrations and participants in international trade using, during such interchange of data, internationally-agreed and universally-applicable codes for the representation of data elements; whereas this Recommendation, given recent developments in communications technology, deals with a subject of special interest to customs and consequently for the implementation of the common commercial policy of the Community since it effectively contributes to the facilitation of international trade; Whereas, given the present position of Community law, four Annexes to the abovementioned Recommendation may be accepted at the same time as the Recommendation itself, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Customs Cooperation Council Recommendation of 22.May 1984 concerning the use of codes for the representation of data elements as well as the four Annexes specified hereunder, are hereby accepted on behalf of the Community:



— Annex II: Container identifiers; — Annex V: Description of goods, and tariff or statistical headings; — Annex VI: Customs procedures; — Annex VII: Units of measurement.

The text of the Recommendation, together with the Annexes mentioned above is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The President of the Council shall designate the person empowered to notify the Secretary-General of the Customs Cooperation Council of the Community's acceptance of the Recommendation and the Annexes referred to in Article 1.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE CUSTOMS COOPERATION COUNCIL

of 22 May 1984

concerning the use of codes for the representation of data elements

THE CUSTOMS COOPERATION COUNCIL,

desiring to facilitate the interchange of data among customs administrations and between customs administrations and participants in international trade,

considering that it is desirable that internationally agreed and universally applicable codes should be used for the representation of data elements in such interchange of data,

having regard to and supporting International Standards adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) concerning the use of codes or coding structures for the representation of data elements,

having regard to and supporting Recommendations adopted by the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE/UN) which recommend the use of codes or coding structures for the representation of data elements for international trade purposes,

considering that the codes or coding structures referred to in the Annexes to this Recommendation provide a suitable basis for the representation of data elements in the interchange of data,

recommends that States, whether or not Members of the Council, and Customs or Economic Unions should use the codes or coding structures specified in the Annexes to this Recommendation and future updated or revised versions of these codes or coding structures for the representation of data elements in the interchange of data among customs administrations and between customs administrations and participants in international trade whenever there is a need for a coded designation,

points out that acceptance of this Recommendation requires the acceptance of the Recommendation and of at least one Annex thereto, and that each Annex shall be taken to be a separate Recommendation,

requests States, whether or not Members of the Council and Customs or Economic Unions which accept this Recommendation to notify the Secretary-General of the Annex or Annexes being accepted, of the date from which they will apply the Recommendation, and of the conditions of its application. The Secretary-General will transmit this information to the customs administrations of all Members. He will also transmit it to any customs administrations of non-Members or any Customs or Economic unions which have accepted this Recommendation.

ANNEX II

CONTAINER IDENTIFIERS

Recommended codes

1. Attention is drawn to the ISO code contained in International Standard 6346 (Freight containers — Coding, identification and marking) for the representation of data concerning freight containers used in modes of transport other than air transport, and to the code developed by IATA for the representation of data concerning air freight containers.

2. Whenever container identification data are seized by customs, it is recommmended that 17 characters should be provided for in ADP systems and associated documents in order to accommodate the ISO code (a possible total of 17 characters) and current and future versions of the IATA code (9 and 12 characters respectively).

Summary description

ISO code

3. International Standard 6346 establishes a 17-character alphanumeric marking code system for freight containers and provides unique international identification by means of an owner code, a serial number, and a country code, a check-digit system for verifying the accuracy of the recording of the owner code and serial number, and information concerning container size and type characteristics.

IATA code

4. The code developed by IATA for the representation of data concerning air freight containers currently comprises 9 alphanumeric characters (unit type, size and compatibility, serial number, and owner code). In 1990, the IATA code will consist of 12 alphanumeric characters including a check digit.

ANNEX V

DESCRIPTIONS OF GOODS, AND TARIFF OR STATISTICAL HEADINGS

Recommended coding structure

1. The harmonized commodity description and coding system should be used.

Summary description

2. The harmonized commodity description and coding system is a six-digit multipurpose nomenclature for transportable goods, which meets simultaneously the needs of customs authorities, statisticians concerned with external trade or production, carriers and producers. The harmonized system is suitable for automatic data processing and transmission and provides a common terminology and code specifically identifying 5019 groups of goods resulting from a detailed expansion of 1241 four-digit headings. The latter result from a very extensive revision and updating, not only in detail but also in structure, of the Customs Cooperation Council Nomenclature (CCCN). The harmonized system can be further subdivided, where necessary, to meet national or international requirements.

ANNEX VI

CUSTOMS PROCEDURES

Recommended code

1. The general guidelines and one-digit code developed by the CCC Working Party in customs applications of computers should be used for the representation of customs procedures. The general guidelines and the one-digit code are contained in the file on the computerization of customs operations.

Summary description

2. The code for the representation of customs procedures developed by the CCC Working Party on customs applications of computers is a broad level one-digit code within which the principal customs procedures are identified and within which users can develop unique codes to meet national or international requirements.

ANNEX VII

UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

Recommended codes

1. The codes contained in ECE/UN Recommendation No 20 (Codes for units of measurement used in international trade) should be used for the representation of units of measurement.

Summary description

2. The unit of measurement codes developed by the ECE/UN consist of a fixed-length (three letter) alphabetic code, and a fixed-length (three-digit) numerical code.

( 1 ) OJ No C 318, 30. 11. 1987.