ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
DE LA COMMISSION 
 
 
 
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DOCUMENTS "COM" 
 
 
 
 
COM (83) 508 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/01 96 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), t his file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 v om 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C O M ( 8 3 ) 5 0 8  final 
Brussels, 9  Septem ber 1 9 8 3
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TO THE COUNCIL
o n certain tariff problem s connected with the Spanish an d  
Portuguese accession negotiations
COM(83) 508 final

COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TO  THE COUNCIL O N
CERTAIN TARIFF PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH THE SPANISH A N D  PORTUGUESE
ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS
1. Consequent o n  the accession of G reece to the C o m m u n ity , negotiations 
w ere started within G A T T  under Article X X I V C 6 )  w ith a  view  to draw ing u p  
a  n e w  schedule of tariff concessions for the C o m m u n ity  of T en. T h e  
C om m unity's objective w a s to convince our partners to take account of 
the credits created b y  the fall in the duties of the G reek custom s tariff 
as a  result of its alignment o n  the C o m m o n  C u sto m s Tariff.
T hese negotiations c a m e  u p  against difficulties created b y  s o m e  of our 
partners, the United States in particular.
T h e  United States considered, w rongly in the Com m ission's view, that 
since the G reek tariff had, b y  virtue of the A c t of Accession, been 
purely and simply aligned o n  the C o m m o n  C u sto m s Tariff, the credits 
created b y  this alignment should not be taken into consideration for an y  
compensation. There should, how ever, b e com pensation for the debits ~  
the increases in the G reek tariff - b y  the enlarged C o m m u n ity .
2. In order to avoid a  repeat of such difficulties consequent o n  the 
accession of Spain and Portugal and, in particular, to obviate the 
argum ent of the alignment of Spanish an d  Portuguese tariffs o n  the 
C o m m o n  C ustom s Tariff, the C o m m issio n  feels that in future there should 
be a  different approach. This w o u ld  involve formally inserting in the 
A cts of Accession of the n e w  M e m b e r  States an  express provision raising 
the bound duties of the enlarged C om m unity's C o m m o n  C u sto m s Tariff for 
a  num ber of products, to b e selected according to the extent of
the bilateral credits and depending o n  the sector. All these
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increases should rem ain within the limits of the general incidence 
(Article X X IV C 5 )(a) of the G A T T )  and the requirements of Article X X I V C 6 )  
concerning bound rates. A  provision of this kind w ould cut short the 
argum ents b y  third countries at G A T T  regarding the use of the credits.
M oreover, it w ould be entirely consistent with the principles already 
acquired in the accession negotiations, since acceptance b y  the n e w  
m em b ers of the rules governing the progressive establishment of the 
C o m m o n  C u sto m s Tariff for the C o m m u n ity  of T w elve does not im ply 
automatically fixing the level of that tariff.
Consequently, the C om m ission invites the Council to agree to inserting the 
following provision in the C ustom s U nion Chapters of the Spanish an d  
Portuguese Acts.of Accession (after the article o n  the alignment of duties):
"Article _ _
T h
e  autonom ous duties in the C o m m o n  C ustom s Tariff of the enlarged 
C o m m u n ity  shall be the autonom ous duties of the present C om m unity. T h e  
conventional duties of the C o m m o n  C ustom s Tariff of the enlarged E E C  and 
the unified tariff of the enlarged E C S C  shall be the conventional duties 
of the present E E C  and E C S C  with the exception of the adjustment w hich
1shall be m a d e  to take into account the fact that the duties "applicable" 
in the Spanish and Portuguese tariffs are, in general, higher than the 
duties applicable in the tariffs of the present Com m unities.
This adjustment, w hich will b e the subject of negotiations within the
fram ew ork of the General A greem ent o n  Tariffs and Trade, shall rem ain within
the limits of the possibilities provided b y  Article X X I V  of that A greem ent
and shall apply to products falling within the tariff headings listed in 
(2)A n n ex  to this Act. "
12"Applicable" is an expression found in Article X X IV (5)(a) of the G A T T . 
This adjustment will be proposed as soon as the C om m ission has draw n 
u p  a  balance sheet of trade with the m ain G A T T  partners.