COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 15.11.1995 
COM(95) 554 final 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 
temporarily suspending totally or partially the autonomous duties of the Common Customs Tariflf 
for certain fishery products (1996) 
(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
1. In the third quarter of this year, the Commission, with the assistance of the Economic Tariff 
Questions Group, examined all requests, submitted by Member States, for temporary 
suspension of common customs tariff duties, including the requests for prolongation of the 
suspensions currently in force. 
The attached proposal concerns a number of fishery products. The proposals for 
Regulations temporarily suspending the autonomous common customs tariff duties on 
industrial products are also in preparation. 
Requests for suspension relating to the above products were examined in the light of the 
criteria defined in the Commission communication to the Council and the Member States, 
concerning autonomous tariff suspensions (cf. O.J. No. C 235 of 13.9.89, p. 2). 
As a result of this examination, the Commission deems it justifiable to suspend the duty on 
those products listed in the Annex to the attached draft Regulation. 
4. As stated in Article 1 of the aforementioned proposal for a Regulation, the proposed period 
of validity is 12 months. 
I 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 
of 1995 195 
temporarily suspending totally or partially the autonomous duties of the 
Common Customs Tariff for certain fishery products (1996) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Community, and in particular Article 
28 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the 
Commission, 
Whereas Community supplies for certain fishery 
products currently depend on imports from third 
countries; whereas it is in the Community's 
interest to suspend totally or partially the customs 
duties for the products in question; whereas, in 
order not to jeopardize the development prospects 
of production of competitive products in the 
Community and to ensure an adequate supply to 
satisfy user industries, it is advisable to limit these 
suspen-sion measures to a period 1 January to 31 
December 1996; 
Whereas the decision for the suspension of these 
autonomous duties should be taken by the 
Community, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
1. From 1 January to 31 December 1996, the 
autonomous duties of the Common Customs 
Tariff applicable to the products listed in the 
Annex shall be suspended at the level indicated in 
respect of each of them. 
2. Imports of the products in question shall not be 
covered by the suspensions referred to in 
paragraph 1 unless the free-at-frontier price, 
which is determined by the Member States in 
accordance with Article 22 of Council Regulation 
(EEC) No 3759/92 of 17 December 1992 on the 
common organization of the market in fishery and 
aquaculture products (*), is at least equal to the 
reference price fixed, or to be fixed, by the 
Community for the products under consideration 
or the categories of the products concerned. 
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 
January 1996. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 
Done at , 1995. 
For the Council 
The President 
C1) OJ No L 388, 31. 12. 1992, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1891/93 (OJ No L 172,15. 7. 1993, p. 
1. 
I 
CN code TARIC Description of goods Autonoaous duties (X) 
! 93626529 
93837526 
0x83841698 
6x63640867 168 
«31 Dogfish of the spocios Squalus acanlhias, fresh, chiliad or 
frozen 
2 0x63026998 
6*03037996 <36 Sturgeons, fresh, chilled or frozen, for processing (s) (b) 
138 
3 6x83826999 •48 Luap fish (Cyclopterus luapus) aith roe, fresh or chilled, 
for processing (a) 
4 ex83826999 
ex83637996 158 Red Snapper (.Luljanua purpureua), fresh, chilled or frozen, 
*48 for processing (a) (c) 
5 ex83827686 
6x63827880 «11 
«91 Hard fish roes, freBh, chilled or frozen 
6 ex63831( 116 Pacific salaon (Oncorhynchus spp.), frozen and headless, 
for the processing industry for aanufacture into pastes or 
spreads (a) 
8 ex83642857 
ex63642857 
ex63849847 «34 Fillets and aeat of hake of the genus Harluccius, excluding 
*44 the species Harluccius aerluccius, Harluccius bilinearis 
(36 and HerLuccius hubbsi, in the fora of industrial blocks, 
froren, for processing (a) (b) 16 
9 6x83642685 
6x83649661 (18 Fillets and «eat of Alaska pollack (Tharagra chalcograaaa), 
(18 in the fora of industrial blocks, frozen, for processing (a) 
(b) 8.5 
19 ex63652866 
ex6365266e (11 
(19 Hard fish roes, sailed or in brine 
11 ex83861999 
ex83862998 (16 
(16 Krill for processing (a) 
12 exl6G41198 
exl6842818 (26 Pacific salaon (Oncorhynchus spp.), for the processing 
(28 industry for aanufacture into pastes or spreads (a) 
13 8x16843098 (18 Hard fish roes, «ashed, cleaned of adherent orgens and siaply 
salted or in brine, for processing (a) 
14 6x16651868 
exl665109e (11 Crabs of the species 'King* (Paralithodas 
(19 cBachalicus), 'Hanasaki' (.Paralithodas bravipas), 
'Kegani' (Eriaacrus isanbecki), 'Queen' and 
'Snox' (Chionoeceies spp.), 'Red* (Gar yon 
quinquadens), 'Rough atone* (Heolilhodas asparriaus), 
Lilhodes anlarclica, 'Hud* (.Scylla sarrala), 
'Blue' (Portunus spp.), siaply boiled in water and 
shelled, ahether or not frozen, in ieaediate packings of a net 
content of 2kg or «ore 
<t 
(a) Control of the use for this special purpose shall be carried out pursuant to 
the relevant Coaaunity provisions. 
(b) The suspension shall apply to fish intended to undergo any operation unless 
they are intended to undergo exclusively one or aore of the following 
operations: 
- cleaning, gutting, tailing, heading, 
- cutting (excluding filleting or cutting of frozen blocks), 
- saapling, sorting, 
- labelling, 
- pecking, 
- chilling, 
- freezing, 
- deep freezing, 
- thaaing, separation. 
The suspension is not allowed for products intended, in eddilion, to undergo 
treataent (or operations) qualifying for suspension «here such treataent (or 
operations) is (are) carried out at retail or catering level. The suspension 
of custoas duties shell apply only to fish intended for huaan consumption. 
(c) Hoaever, the suspension is net allowed where processing is carried out by 
reteil or catering endartakings. 
5 
FINANCIAL RECORD 
1. Budget heading involved : Chap. 12 Art. 120 
2. Title of operation : Proposal for a Council Regulation, temporarily suspending totally or 
partially the autonomous duties of the Common Customs Tariff for certain fishery products 
(1996). 
3. Legal basis : Art. 28 of the EC Treaty 
4. Objective of operation : Suspension of CCT duties on the above-mentioned products 
5. Cost of the measure: 
to be borne by the EC budget (in uncollected customs duties - UCD): 
The cost is difficult to estimate in advance, mainly because of the lack of recent Community 
statistics coupled with the arrival of the three new Member States for whom full economic 
data are not available. 
On the basis of : 
latest available Eurostat statistics (1993) 
Member States' declarations on use of suspensions 
the period of validity of the Regulation (1.1.96 / 31.12.96) 
the presence of three new Member States 
the extension of the Regulation in identical form 
the best estimate of UCD for 1996 would be 39 MECU. This measure, which would apply 
for a year, would account for an equivalent amount. 
Estimated cost of this measure (1.1.96 / 31.12.96V 
39 000 000 ECU 
L 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(95) 554 final 
EN 02 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-95-590-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-95892-8 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg 
V