Notice to exporters concerning the application of the EU system for registered exporters (REX system) for exports from the EU to Eastern and Southern African States within the framework of the EU-ESA interim Economic Partnership Agreement

(2020/C 176/03)

This notice is issued for the information of exporters and other economic operators, which are involved in preferential exports from the European Union to Eastern and Southern African States, under the Interim Agreement establishing a framework for an Economic Partnership Agreement between the Eastern and Southern Africa States (1), on the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, on the other part (EU-ESA iEPA) (2).

The EU-ESA EPA Committee adopted, in its 8th Meeting held on 14 January 2020, Decision 1/2020 amending Protocol 1 of the EU-ESA iEPA, concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation (3). The amended Protocol 1 entered into force on 31 March 2020.

In accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 18 of the amended Protocol 1, the European Union notified the EU-ESA Customs Cooperation Committee on 2 April 2020 that, from 1 September 2020, products originating in the EU shall benefit from the preferential tariff treatment of the iEPA on importation into the ESA States, upon submission of an invoice declaration made out by an exporter registered in accordance with the EU legislation.

In practical terms, this measure means that:

— Until 31 August 2020 (included), the ESA States shall grant preferential tariff treatment to products originating in the EU upon submission of either a movement certificate EUR.1 or an invoice declaration, made out by approved exporters within the meaning of Article 24 or by any exporter for any consignment consisting of one or more packages containing originating products whose total value does not exceed EUR 6 000;

— From 1 September 2020, the ESA States shall grant preferential tariff treatment to products originating in the EU exclusively upon submission of invoice declarations made out by exporters registered in the EU’s REX system or by any exporter for any consignment consisting of one or more packages containing originating products whose total value does not exceed EUR 6 000.

The invoice declaration shall continue to be made out in accordance with Article 23 of Protocol 1 and using the text which appears in its Annex IV.

Exporters and other economic operators concerned in the EU are invited to take the necessary measures to apply the new provisions from 1 September 2020. Those measures shall mainly consist in the registration of exporters in the REX system, if not already done; and the exclusive use of invoice declarations to cover consignments for which a preferential tariff treatment is expected to be claimed in an ESA State from 1 September 2020.

European Union operators who are already registered in the REX system for the purpose of benefitting from other preferential arrangements, shall use the REX number which is already assigned to them.

(1) Currently applied by Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe.

(2) OJ L 111, 24.4.2012, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 93, 27.3.2020, p. 1.