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Vol.1978/0275

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
GOM \78)749 final .
Brussels ,12January 1979
Recommendation for aCouncil decision
Concerning thenegotiation ofalegal instrument enabling
■y
theEuropean Economic Community tobecome a.,Contracting
,y.\
Party totheAgreement onthetemporary importation ,free
ofduty ,ofmedical ,surgical andlaboratory 'equipment for
■I
useonfree loan inhospitals andother medical institutions
..)
forpurposes ofdiagnosis ortreatment ./
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
OOM{78 )749final .

EXPLANATION
TheAgreementonthetemporaryimportation,freeofduty,ofmedical,
surgicalandlaboratoryequipmentforuseonfreeLoaninhospitals
andothermedicalinstitutions forpurposesofdiagnosisortreatment,
whichwasopenedforsigningbythemembercountriesoftheCouncilof
Europeon28AprilI960,wassignedandnotifiedbyalltheKeinberStates
oftheCommunitybetweenI960and1966.
IhisAgreement,whichwasdrawnupinaBpiritofEuropeansolidarity,
isbasedonthehighesthumanitarian principles whichredoundtothe
creditofthesignatories .
Article1oftheAgreementstatesthatContractingPartieshaving
sufficientstocksfortheirownneedsshallmakemedical,surgicaland
laboratoryequipmentavailableonfreeloantosuchotherContracting
Partiesasmay,inexceptional circumstances ,haveurgentneedofit
andthatthisequipmentshallsubsequently bereturned.Article2defines
theperiodoftemporaryimportation andtheinstitution ?)thatmaybenefit
undertheAgreement.
ThismeansinpracticethattheMemberStatesshallexempttheequipment
inquestionfromtheapplication ofcommoncustomtariffduties.
Particularly inviewofthefactthattheCommunityhasnowtakenover
responsibility fromtheMemberStatesintariffmatters,itisdesirable
thatitshouldconcludetheAgreement,withparticularrefei-enceto
Articles1and2thereof,alongsidetheMemberStates.
However,asthesaidAgreementisopenforsignatureonlybytheMember
StatesoftheCoiuicilofEurope,alegalinstrumentshould,beprepared
enablingtheComnrjjiitytobecomeaContractingPartytotheAgreement.
HieCommissionthereforerecommendsthattheCouncilshouldauthorize
it,pursuanttoArticle113oftheTreaty,tonegotiatealegalinstrument
enablingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunitytoconclude,alongsidethe
MemberStates,theAgreementonthetemporaryimportation ,freeofduty,
ofmedical,surgicalandlaboratoryequipmentforuseonfreeloanin
hospitalsaridothermedicalinstitutions forpurposesofdiagncsisor
treatment .
TrietextsofArticle1at;d2oftheAgreementareannexedtothisdraft
Councildeoision.

recommendation foraCouncil decision concerning the
negotiation ofalegal instrument enabling theEuropean Economic
Community tobecome aContracting Party totheAgreement onthe
temporary importation ,free ofduty ,ofmedical ,surgical and
laboratory equipment forueeonfree loan inhospitals and
other medical institutions forpurposes ofdiagnosis ortreatment
THECOUNCIL OPTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
and inparticular Article 113thereof }
Having regard totheRecommendation from theCommission }
Whereas thepurpose oftheAgreement onthetemporary importation ,free
ofduty ,ofmedical ,surgical andlaboratory equipment foruse onfree
loan inhospitals andother medical institutions forpurposes ofdiagnosis
ortreatment ,which wasdrawn uponthe initiative oftheCouncil ofEurope ,
isintended tomake iteasier forMember States ofthat organization to
import medical ,surgical andlaboratory equipment loaned inexceptional
circumstances byother Member States ,dncondition that the said equipment
isre-exported J
Whereas one oftheconditions necessary toensure this cooperation ,which
aims tosatisfy themost urgent needs ofthepeople oftheMember States
concerned ,istoallow this equipment temporary exemption from customs
duties ,oncondition that itisrequired forhospitals andother medical
institutions ,asprovided for inArticles 1and 2oftheAgreement }
Whereas anydecision togrant temporary exemption from customs duties
under anagreement must take acoount oftheproper requirements ofthe
Customs Union and inparticular oftheexistence oftheCommon Customs
Tariff }
Whereas anyderogation from theCommon Customs Tariff isthesole responsibility
oftheCommunity }
Whereas theAgreement inquestion wassigned andnotified byallthe
Member States oftheCommunity between I960 and1966 }whereas itis
therefore necessary tn^t th;Community should conclude this Agreement
with particular referenda rArticles 1and 2thereof alongside the
Member States ,
HAS DECIDED ASFOLLOWS !
!
j'

Sole Article
TheCommission ishereby authorised toconduct negotiations ,inthe
context oftheCouncil ofEurope ,with aview toinserting alegal
instrument intheAgreement onthetemporary importation ,free of
duty ,ofmedical ,surgical andlaboratory equipment foruse onfree
loan inhospitals andother medical institutions forpurposes of
diagnosis ortreatment enabling theEuropean Economic Community to
become aContracting Party tothat Agreement .
TheCommission shall conduct these negetiations inconsultation with
theSpecial Committee provided forinArticle 113oftheTreaty ,
whioh shall assist iiinthis task .
Done atBrussels , For the Council
The President

ANNEX
Article1
1.TheContractingPartiesshall,providedthattheyhavesufficientstocks
fortheirownneeds,makemedical,surgicalandlaboratoryequipment
availableonfreeloantosuchotherContractingPartiesasmay,in
exceptionalcircumstances ,haveurgentneedofit}suchequipmentshall,
uponrequest,besenttothePartyconcernedandshallsubsequently be
returned.
2.EachContractingPartybenefitingunderthetermsoftheprevious
paragraphshallgrantallpossiblefacilitiesfortheimportation on
atemporarybasisoftheequipmentloaned.
Article2
1.Theperiodoftemporaryimportationshallnotexceedsixmonthsin
thefirstinstancebutmay,withtheagreementoftheexporting
country,beextendedforafurtherperiodsubjecttothesame
conditions .
2.Theabovefacilitiesshallbegrantedonlyinrespectofmedical,
surgicalanllaboratoryequipmentforuseinhospitalsandother
medicalinstitutions .Theyshallincludetheissueofanylicences
requiredforthetemporaryimportation ofsuchequipmentandthe
suspensionofimportdutiesandimporttaxes(includingallduties
andtaxeswhatsoeverchargeablebyreasonofimportation )other
thanchargesforactualexpensesincurredbytheauthorities ofthe
oountryoftemporaryimportation .