ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(77)418
Vol.1977/0136

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(77)418 final
Brussels,9September1977
Proposalfora
COUNCILREGULATION
amendingRegulation (EEC)No1736/75ontheexternal
tradestatisticsoftheCommunity andstatistics of
tradebetweenMemberStates
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission )
«
C0M(77)418final.

Reasons for the proposal
1.Article 24,paragraph 2ofCouncil Regulation (EEC )No1736 /75of
24June 1975 ontheexternal trade statistics oftheCommunity andstatistics
oftrade between Member States (1)fixed the statistical threshold at
250units ofaccount .Itistobenoted ,however ,that asfrom 1January 1977 ,
statistics will beproduced inEuropean units ofaccount .Asthis isanupper
limit below which the Member States are free tofix their own thresholds in
accordance with their ownrequirements ,theneed tocarry outregular adjust­
ments ofthe threshold did not figure inthedebates preceding theadoption
oftheregulation .Hence Article 24paragraph 3only gave theCommission the
power tostandardize the statistical threshold inaccordance with theproce­
dure provided for inArticle 41ofthe same regulation .Since 1975 ,however ,
the rapid upward trend inprices has forced several Member States toraise
their national threshold tothe ceiling specified inArticle 24.Unless
inflationary pressure slackens off inthe near future ,these Member States
areworried that the administrative economies achieved bytheir national
statistical institutes byreason ofthe statistical threshold will bejeopar­
dized ifthey are not allowed toexceed the 250EUAbarrier .
2.Itthus seams reasonable topropose that the statistical threshold ,asexpres­
sed inEuropean units ofaccount ,beraised ,the first stage being toalimit
of300European units ofaccount .
3.Toavoid inthe future theprocedure attendant onamending aCouncil Regulation
involving inthis case consultation with the European Parliament -every time
theeconomic situation requires the statistical threshold tobeadjusted ,it
seems expedient togive the Commission thepower toadapt therelevant
Community regulations quickly tothe changed situation .
4.Tothis end ,itwill suffice toextend the authority already accorded by
paragraph 3ofArticle 24tothose cases where itwill berequired tochange
theamount fixed byparagraph 2into European units ofaccount .
(1)OJNoL183 of14.7.1975 ,page 3

The use ofthe statistical threshold constitutes asimplification ,enabling
the Member States todisregard alarge proportion oftheir primary statistical
documentation -from thepoint ofview ofprocessing -without any significant
loss ofinformation .Consequently ,their own self-interest requires that they
and the Commission -acting together through the medium ofthe Committee on
External Trade Statistics -come upwith appropriate measures assoon as
possible aimed atenabling this rationalized system tocontinue ..

PFôgôS&lfe?àCôunôîl Régulation(ESC)Nè1T3é/75en
theexternaltradestatisticsoftheCommunityandstatisticsoftradebetween
MemberStates
1HECOUNCILOPTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,and
inparticularArticle235thereof;
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ;
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEuropeanParliament ;
Whereas,witheffectfrom1January1977»theexternaltradestatisticsof
theCommunityandstatisticsoftradebetweenMemberStatesareproducedin
Europeanunitsofaccount(EUA)asdefinedbyCommissionDecision
No3289/75/ECSCof18December1975(1);
Whereas,sincetheadoptionofRegulation(EEC)No1736/75Councilof
24June1975011"theexternaltradestatisticsoftheCommunityandstatistics
oftradebetweenMemberStates(2),priceshavedevelopedinsuchawaythat
itisnecessarytoraisethestatisticalthresholdfrom25Oto300EUAin
ordertoenabletheMemberStatestodiscontinue thestatistical recordingof
consignments ofminorortrivialvalueiftheywishtomakeuseofthisoption
forreasonsofecononQr;
Whereasthepresentsituationasregardsexchangerateshasresultedinthe
statisticalthreshold,asexpressedinEuropeanUnitsofAccount,beingadjusted
morefrequentlyandatshorterintervalsthanoriginallyplanned;whereasthe
systemcanbesimplifiedbytheinclusionofaprovisionforthestatistical
thresholdtobeadjustedundertheproceduresetoutinArticle41of
Regulation(EEC)No1736/75,
(1)OJNoL327of19.12.1975 »P«4
(2)OJNoL183of14.7.1975,P«3

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISIONS
Article 1
Article 24ofRegulatipn (EEC)No1736/75isamended "toread ,asfollows :
"Article 24
1.Thestatistical threshold shall toethelimit ,expressed innetweight
andinvalue ,"below which nofigures arecompiled . ''
2.The statistical threshold ,may not exceed 1000 kgregardless ofthe
statistical value ofthegoods nor 300European units ofaccount
regardless ofthenetweight ofthegoods .Each Member State shall
inform theCommission ofthe statistical threshold which ithasadopted .
3.Such measures asmay "berequired forpurposes ofchanging theamount in
European units ofaccount fixed "byparagraph 2,orofapplying that
paragraph ,orofstandardizing thestatistical threshold shall "be
adopted inaccordance with Article 41•
4.TheEuropean unit ofaccount (EUA)isthat defined "byCommission
Decision No3289/75/ECSC of18December 19750)."
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force onthethird dayfollowing its
publication intheOfficial Journal oftheEuropean Communities .
This Regulation shall bebinding initsentirety anddirectly applicable
inall Member States .
Done atBrussels ,
Por the Council
The President
(1)OJNoL327of19.12.1975 ,P.4