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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(80)309final
Brussels-5thJune1980
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RECOMMENDATION FORACOUNCILDECISION
ONTHENEGOTIATION OFAGREEMENTS ONTHREEDRAFTANNEXES TO
THEINTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ONTHESIMPLIFICATION AND
HARMONISATION OFCUSTOMS PROCEDURES CONCERNING RESPECTIVELY
THECUSTOMSTREATMENT OFSTORES,CUSTOMS
OFFENCES ANDCOASTWISE CARRIAGE OFGOODS
(presented bytheCommissiontotheCouncil)
COM(80)309final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1.The International Convention onthe simplification and harmoni sation
ofcustoms procedures wassigned inKyoto on18May1973 (Kyoto Con­
vention ).TheConvention ,drawn upunder theauspices oftheCustoms
Cooperation Counicl (CCC),entered into force on25September 1974 .In
thepreamble ,theContracting Parties ,having noted that "divergences
between national customs procedures can hamper international trade and
other international exchanges ",considered that "itisinthe interests
ofallcountries topromote such trade andexchanges and tofoster
international cooperation "and that "simplification and harmoni sation of
their customs procedures caneffectively contribute tothedevelopment
ofinternational trade and ofother international exchanges ".They
stated their conviction that "aninternational instrument proposing
provisions which countries undertake toapply assoon asthey are able
todosowould lead progressively toahigtr degree ofsimplification and
harmoni sation ofcustoms procedures ,which ,isone oftheessential aims
ofthe Customs Cooperation Council ".
TheConvention 'sobjectives aretobeattained bytheconclusion ofannexes
totheConvention .Each Contracting Party undertakes tocomply with the
standards and recommended practices contained inanannex unless it
notifies theGeneral Secratariat ofthe CCC,either when itaccepts the
annex oratalater date ,ofthestandard(s )and recommended practice(s )
inrespect ofwhich itenters reservations ,stating thedifferences
existing between theprovisions ofitsnational legislation and those
ofthe standard(s )and recommended practice(s )concerned .
Theannexes tothe Kyoto Convention onvarious customs procedures are
drawn upintheworking party ofthe CCC'sPermanent Technical Committee '
and are then submitted bythat Committee tothe Customs Cooperation Coun­
cil forapproval .The Council approves them and submits them toContrac­
ting Parties tothe Convention foracceptance .
Each annex istoberegarded asaseparate international agreement inthe
general framework oftheKyoto Convention .

.Inaccordance withcertaindecisionsoftheCouncilofMinistersofthe
EEC,theCommunity hasnegotiated theKyotoConvention andthe.annexes
alreadyadoptedbytheCCC.IthasbecomeaContracting Partytothe
Convention togetherwiththeMemberStatesandmanyothercountries.
Therearecurrently 31Contracting Parties.WhenitaccededtotheCon­
vention,theCommunityacceptedoneannex;sincethen,ithasaccepted
nineothers. >
»Atits107/108thsessionsheldfrom12to16May1980,thePermanent
Technical Committeedecidedtosubmitthefourfollowing annexestothe
CCCCouncilforexamination andapproval:
m
a)Customstreatment ofstores(A.4)
b)Customsoffences (H.2)
c)Coastwisecarriageofgoods(F.7)
d)Processing ofgoodsforhomeuse(F.2)
Withregardtotheannexonprocessing ofgoodsforhomeuse(F.2),the
Commission wasauthorised toconductnegotiations bytheCouncil's
decisionof13January1975. -.■,
Theannexonthecustomstreatmentofstoresprovidesfortheimportation
aridsupplyofsuchgoodsfreeofdutiesandtaxes.Itconcernsvessels,
aircraftandtrainsarrivinginthecustomsterritory andvesselsanti­
aircraftleavingforafinaldestination abroad.
Theannexoncustomsoffences(H.2)dealswiththeconditionsunderwhich
thecustomsauthoritiesinquireintoandtakenoteofcustomsoffences.
Actionagainstsuchoffences,bytheimpositionofappropriatepenalties,
isalsocovered,butonlyinsofarasitfallswithinthepowersofthe
customsauthorities .Theannexdealsneitherwithprocedurestobe
followednorwiththevariousmeasureswhichthecustomsauthorities
couldtakefortherecoveryoffinesortheexecutionofjudgmentsor
penaltiespronounced bythecourts.

,.Theannex oncoastwise carriage ofgoods (F.7)Lays down provisions for
goods Loaded ontoavessel atonepLace inthecustoms territory and
transported onboard that vesseL toanother pLace inthe same customs
territory whether ornotthey Leave theterritory .According tothe
CCC'sdefinitions ,,theprovisions appLy togoods infree circuLation or
goods coming from abroad forwhich acustoms declaration has notbeen
entered .
Thedecision authorising the Commission tonegotiate the three annexes
inquestion istobeadopted very shortLy byvirtue ofthecommencement
date ofthenegotiation session .Accordingly ,theCommission ,concerned
toensure operational efficiency andguided byprevious Council practice
onnegotiations forannexes totheKyoto Convention already approved by
the CCC,recommends that the Council adopt thedecision forthenew
annexes onthegeneric basis oftheTreaty ,without prejudice tothe legal
basis ofanyfuture Community acceptance ofthese' annexes .
Consequently ,theCommission recommends that the Council authorise it
tonegotiate three draft annexes totheKyoto Convention concerning
respectively thecustoms treatment ofstores (annex A.4),customs
offences (annex H.2 )andcoastwise carriage ofgoods (annex F.7).To
this end,adraft decision isappended hereto .

RECOMMENDATION FOR A
COUNCIL DECISION
onthenegotiation ofagreements onthree
draft annexes tothe International Conven­
tion onthesimplification and harmoni­
sation ofcustoms procedures concerning ,
respectively thecustoms treatment of
stores ,customs offences and coastwise
carriage ofgoods
THE COUNCIL OFTHE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES -
l -
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
Having regard tothe recommendation from the 1Commission ,
Whereas theconclusion ofagreements onthedraft annexes tothe
International Convention onthe simplification and harmonisation of
customs procedures concerning respectively thecustoms treatment of
stores ,customs offences andcoastwise carriage ofgoods islikely to
contribute effectively tothedevelopment ofinternational trade ,
/
Whereas thesaid agreements have adirect bearing onthe collection
onauniform basis ofcommon customs tariff duties ,agricultural levies
andother charges inthe context ofthe common agricultural policy ;
whereas they must take account ofthe specific requirements ofthe
customs union ;whereas theCommunity should therefore take part in
thenegotiation ofthese agreements ;
HAS DECIDED ASFOLLOWS :

Sole Article
TheCommission ishereby authorised toconduct thenegociation inthe
Customs Cooperation Council ofagreements onthree annexes tothe
International Convention for the simplification and harmoni sation of
customs procedures concerning respectively the customs treatment of
stores ,customs offences andcoastwise carriage ofgoods .These
negotiations shall beconducted inaccordance with theprocedure laid
down inthe Annex tothis Decision .
t Done atBrussels , .
v For the Council
The Président

Annex
Adhoc procedure for the negotiations
Without prejudice totheir respective Legal positions ,the Commission
and theMember States *have agreed onthe following procedure :
1.Problems arising atthenegotiation ofcustoms conventions will be
examined atcoordination meetings chaired byarepresentative ofthe
Member State holding the "presidency oftheCouncil (assisted byre­
presentatives oftheGeneral Secretariat andbringing together re­
presentatives from theMember States and from the Commission These
meetings wiLIdeal with anymatter relating tocustoms conventions /
with theexception ofquestions ofcompetence .They will aim at
reaching acommon position inline with theobjectives andpolicies
oftheCommunity .Anymajor disagreement should benotified tothe
Permanent Representatives Committee and,ifnecessary ,tothe Council .
2.The common position will bestated byasingle spokesman ,who
.will normally betheCommission 'srepresentative ,except where
the nature ofthe matters dealt with issuch that the Commission 's
representatives and the representatives oftheMember States would
arrive atdifferent conclusions .Thedesignation ofasingle
spokesman does notprevent theMember States' representatives from
making individual statements ,provided that they paydue regard to
thecommon line adopted onsubstantive andprocedural questions .
3.Ifavote istaken ,theMember States' representatives will vote in
accordance with theoverall package ofcommon guidelines adopted .