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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)2099
Vol.1973/0377

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COM(73 )2099 final
Brussels ,17December 1973
RECOMMENDATION FOR ACOUNCIL INCISION
authorising theCommission toenter into negotiations ,
on "behalf oftheCommunity ,with thePeople 'sRepublic
vofBangladesh with aview toconcluding anAgreement
with that country ontrade inhandicraft products .
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
CCM(73 )2099 final

EXPLANATORY miORDAlTOtM–i–MtmD »,–ia«a––»■–»«–
1. As itundertook todoin1967 ,attheGATT multilateral negotiations ,
theCommunity opened anautonomous ,duty-free quota ,ofgeneral application ,
forhandicraft products .This quota isfor 5million u.a .with amaximum of
0,5million u.a .pertariff item .
Exemption from import duties is ;subject however ,toproduction tothe
Community customs authorities ofacertificate issued bytherecognised
authorities ofthebeneficiary country ,attesting that theproducts in
question are'handmade .
India andPakistan were thefirst countries totake advantage ofthis
tariff quota .In19^9 and1970 "theCommunity concluded twoseparate Agree­
ments with these countries specifying theconditions ofapplication ofthe
exemption from duties andlisting theproducts covered .
2. TheCouncil approved thetexts oftwosupplementary Agreements ,one
with India ,theother with Pakistan (Decision ofJuly 1970 )andthetext of
anAgreement with Uruguay (Decision ofOcotber 1973 )adding anumber ofother
products tothelist covered bytheoriginal Agreements .Asaresult about
31tariff headings currently enjoy exemption duty-free onimportation
into theCommunity (seeAnnex III).
3. ThePhilippines ,Thailand ,Indonesia ,Iran andCe7ion ,having provi­
dedtherequired assurances ,were also admitted tothis tariff quota in
1972 .InMay1971 they concluded separate Agreements with theCommunity ,
theprovisions ofwhich aresimilar tothese oftheAgreements concluded
with India and Pakistan .

4. Inanote addressed totheCommission on25September 1973
(Annex II),theBangladesh Mission expressed itsgovernment 'swish to
beable totake advantage ofthis quota .
This country previously partook inthis annual quota under the ■
Agreement concluded with Pakistan ontrade inhandicraft products ,sothat
itisnow aquestion ofensuring that imports from Bangladesh continue to
benefit from theCommunity tariff quota .
5. Taking into account the above factors ,theCommission considers
that theCommunity should confine itself atthis stage torespending
favourably tothe request byBangladesh .
In .thenegotiations due totake place with this country ,theaim
should therefore betoarrive atanAgreement onthe same conditions as
these contained intheAgreements currently inforce with thecountries
mentioned above (1). ,
6. Inconclusion ,therefore theCommission recommends that theCoun­
ciladopt following draft -.decision (Annex I).
(1)India ,Pakistan ,thePhilippines ,Thailand ,Indonesia ,Iran,' .Geylon ,
Uruguay.' .

ANNEX I
RECOMMENDATION FORACOUNCIL DECISION
authorising theCommission toenter into negotiations ,
onbehalf oftheCommunity ,with thePeople 'sRepublic
ofBangladesh with aview toconcluding anAgreement
with that country ontrade inhandicraft products .
THECOUNCIL OFTHEEUROPEAN "COMUNITIES ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
andinparticular Article 113thereof |
Having regard totherecommendation oftheCommission ?
Whereas effect should begiven totherequest byBangladesh byarranging
negotiations between that country andtheCommunity ,with aview toextending
tocertain handicraft products originating inBangladesh theCommunity tariff
quota ,ofgeneral application forhandicraft products ,,opened autonomously
bytheCommunity byCouncil Regulation No2733/72(l)of19December i972 ,amended
byCouncil Regulation No2816/73(2)of15October 1973 »
HAS DECIDED ASFOLLOWS .:
TneCommission ishereby authorized ,onbehalf oftheEuropean
Economic Community ,toenter into negotiations with Bangladesh with aview
toconcluding anAgreement with that country ontrade inhandicraft products ,
onthesame conditions asthose contained intheAgreements which theCommunity
has concluded with other third countries .
Done atBrussels , FortheCouncil ,Sole Article
The President .
MOJNoL.291,28.12.1972
OJNoL.291 ,18.10.1973

AnnexII
EMBASSYOFTHEPEOPLE'SREPUBLIC OFBANGLADESH
Brussels1040-27,rueBarondeCastro
Sept.17,'73
NoEEC-12/73
TheMissionofBangladeshpresentsitscomplimentstothe
CommissionoftheEuropeanCommunities ,and,inconsideration ofthe
advantagesgranted "bytheEuropeanEconomicCo:nmunitybyvirtueofthe.
Commontariffcontingentinexemptionfromthechargesforthe"Hiindlocms"
and"handicrafts",contingentwhichisrenewedannuallybytheCommunity,
requestsunderinstruction oftheGovernmentofthePeople'sRepublicof
Bangladeshforgrantofsimilarbenefitforthesameproductsoriginating
fromBangladesh.
Inconformitywiththeusualpractice,theMissionofBangladesh
shallengageitselftopresenttothecustomsauthorities oftheCommunity
thecertificatesattestingthattheseproductsarehandmade.Thecertifi­
catesshallbedeliveredbythecompetentauthorityofBangladesh ,i.e.the
ExportPromotionBureau,GovernmentofthePeople'sRepublicofBangladesh,
Dacca/Chittagong/Khulna.
TheMissionofBangladeshrequeststheCommissionoftheEuropean
Communitiestokindlyexamineitsrequestwithdueconsideration and
hopesthisrequestwillbeaccepted.-
TheMissionofBangladeshthankstheEuropeanCommunitiesin
anticipation foritsfavourableconsideration oftherequestandtakes
thisopportunitytorenewitsrespectfulwishes.
CommissionoftheEuropeanCommunities ,
(Attention:GeneralDirectionof
ForeignRelations),
200,ruedelaLoi,
1040Brussels