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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(80)852
Vol.1980/0270

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(80)852 final/*y\j.
Brussels^15December1980
UAc"J
CÀa-Y.-bénértl'V'-V
-V7"^\
Proposal for-a
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC)
amending Regulations (EEC)Nos1544/69,2780/78and3060/78onthe
tarifftreatment applicable togoodscontained intravellers' personal
luggageorsentinsmallconsignments toprivateindividuals
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
C0M(80)852final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1.Thefirstsubparagraph ofArticle 2(2)ofCouncilRegulation
(EEC)No2779/78of23November 1978ontheprocedure forapplying
theEuropean unitofaccount CEUA)tolegalactsadoptedinthe
customs sphere(1)provides thattheequivalents innational currencies
ofthesumsexpressed inEUAwhichareapplicable tothetariff
treatment ofgoodsimported byprivateindividuals shallbeadjusted
onceayearinlinewiththeexchange rateobtaining onthefirst
working dayofOctober,witheffectfrom1Januaryofthefollowing
year.
2.TheRegulation whichdetermine thetarifftreatment applicable
toprivatepersons(2 )(3)(4)incorporate aprovision wherebyMember
Statesareallowedtomaintain unchanged thenational currency
equivalents ofthesumslaiddowninthoseRegulations if,atthetime
oftheannualadjustment provided forinRegulation 2779/78,conversion
ofthesumsresultsinachangeoflessthan5%intheirnational
currency equivalents .However,theabovementioned Regulations donot
makeanyprovision forcaseswherethechangeexceeds 5%.
(1)OJNoL333,30.11.1978 ,p.5
(2)CouncilRegulation (EEC)No1544/69of23July1969onthetariff >
treatment applicable togoodscontained intravellers' personal
luggage (0JNoL191,5.8.1969,p.1),asamended byRegulation
(EEC)No3061/78(0JNoL366,28.12.1978 ,p.3)
(3)CouncilRegulation (EEC)No2780/78of27November 1978amending
Regulation (EEC)No950/68asregardsthepreliminary provisions
o.ftheCommonCustomsTariff(0JNoL333,30.11.1978 ,p.7)
(4)CouncilRegulation (EEC)No3060/78of19December 1978providing
exemption fromimportdutiesforgoodsinsmallconsignments ofa
non-commercial character fromthirdcountries (0JNoL366,
28.12.1978 ,p.1)

-2-
3.Whenadopting Regulation (EEC)No2779/78,theCouncil,in
astatement recorded intheminutes,calledupontheCommission to
keeptheeffectsoftheapplication ofArticle 2oftheRegulation
underreviewandtoproposeappropriate measures intheeventof
therebeingmajorfluctuations intheexchange ratesoftheEUA
againstthevariousnational currencies inaparticular year.
Suchwillbethecasewiththepoundsterling from1January 1981.
SincethechangeoverfromtheUAtotheEUA,theEUA'sexchange
rateagainstthepoundhasfallenasfollows:
1January 1979 1January 1980 1January 1981
1EUA= £0.669415 0.652555 0.587199
Application ofthenewexchange ratefrom1January 1981would
resultinareduction inthepoundsterling equivalents ofthe
duty-free allowances andotherconcessions granted bytheUnited
Kingdom undertheabovementioned Regulations .Thiscouldhaveserious
psychological andpolitical consequences amongthecitizens of
theUnitedKingdom.TheCommission istherefore proposing to
increase thesumsexpressed inEUAinthethreeRegulations referred
toinparagraph 2above.
4.Acorresponding proposal hasbeensubmitted inthetaxationfield.

Proposal fora
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC)
amending Regulations (EEC)Nos1544/69/2780/78and
3060/78onthetarifftreatment applicable togoods
contained intravellers' personal luggageorsentin
smallconsignments toprivateindividuals
THECOUNCIL OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES /.
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropean Economic Community/
andinparticular Articles 28and43/
1Havingregardtotheproposal fromtheCommission ,
2HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropean Parliament /
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee''/
Whereasthefirstsubparagraph ofArticle2(2)ofCounciIRegulation (EEC)No
2779/78of23November .1978ontheprocedure forapplying theEuropeanunit
4ofaccount (EUA)tolegalactsadoptedinthecustomssphereprovides that
theequivalents innational currencies ofthesumsexpressed inEUAapplic­
able/inparticular tothetarifftreatment ofprivateindividuals sha»llbe
.adjusted onceayear; _ „
.Whereasitisimportant thatthesaidadjustment shouldnotresultina
reduction inthepresentvalue/expressed innational currency,ofduty-
freeallowances andotherconcessions grantedtoprivateindividuals ;whereas
toavoidsuchareduction resulting fromtheexchange ratesoftheEuropeanunitof
accountapplicable from1January 1981/itisnecessary toincrease thesumsexpres-
I
sedinEuropeanunitsofaccountwhicharelaiddownintheRegulations listed
belowwhichgovernthetarifftreatment ofprivateindividuals :
1 30J 0J
20J VlNoL333/30.11.1978/p.5

-2-
-Council Regulation (EEC )No1544 /69of23July 1969 onthetariff treatment
1
applicable togoods contained intravellers' personal luggage ,asamended
byRegulation (EEC)No2780 /78,referred tobelow ,andRegulation (EEC )
No3061/782,
/
-Council Regulation (EEC )No2780 /78of27November 1978 amending Regul­
ation (EEC)No950/68asregards thepreliminary provisions oftheCommon
Customs Tariff
-Council Regulation (EEC )No3060 /78of19December 1978 providing exemp -
.tioR from import duties forgoods insmall consignments ofanon-commercial
1character from third countries ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
10JNoL191,5.8.1969 ,p.1
20JNoL366,28.12.1978 ,p.3
3OJNoL333,30.11.1978 ,p.7
40JNoL366,28.12.1978 ,p.1

Article 1
*Regulation (EEC;No1544/69isherebyamendedasfollows:
1.Inthefirstsubparagraph ofArticle1(1),"40Europeanunitsofaccount"
isreplacedby"45Europeanunitsofaccount"*
2.InArticle1(2)/"20Europeanunitsofaccount"isreplacedby"23Euro­
peanunitsofaccount".
3.InArticle1(3),"40Europeanunitsofaccount"isreplacedby"45Euro­
peanunitsofaccount".
4.InArticle8(2),"40and20Europeanunitsofaccount"isreplacedby
"45and23Europeanunitsofaccount".' >
Article2 \
InArticle1(1),(5)and(6)ofRegulation (EEC)No2780/78,
"100Europeanunitsofaccount"isreplacedby"115Europeanunitsofac­
count".
, « ;
*
Article3
InArticle1(2)(a)andArticle4(1)and(2)ofRegulation (EEC)
No3060/78,"30Europeanunitsofaccount"isreplacedby"35Europeanunits
ofaccount".

-4-
Article4
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforceon1January1981.
ThisRegulationshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicablein
allMemberStates.
DoneatBrussels,
« i
i FortheCouncil,
ThePresident