ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(81)122
Vol.1981/0033

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(81)122final
Brussels ,23March1981
Recommendation fora
-COUNCIL DECISION
concerning negotiations underArticle XXIV(6)oftheGeneralAgreement
*
onTariffs andTrade
DraftDecision
oftheRepresentatives oftheGovernments
ofMemberStatesoftheECSC
meetinginCouncilregarding theopening
oftariffnegotiations underArticleXXIV
ofGATT
(submitted totheCouncilbytheComm■=
V"\
<:a-a.M•.j~.4d/Ι
ZHco-^
C0MC81)122final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. OnjoiningtheEuropeanCommunities Greecewasrequiredtoadopt
theCommonCustomsTariffandothercommonrulesandregulations,notably
concerningagriculture .Someoftheobligations towardsnon-Community
countriesundertheGeneralAgreement onTariffsandTrade(GATT)which
Greececannolongerfulfilhavebeenreplacedbyfreshobligationscon-'
tractedbytheEuropeanCommunities asaresultofGreece'sAccession.
/
2.vTheGATTContracting Partiesarecarryingoutadetailedreview
toseethatGreece'saccession hasnot,contravened GATTArticleXXIV(5)(a),
whichprovid'esthat:. .
"withrespecttoacustomsunion,oraninterimagreementleading
totheformationofacustomsunion,thedutiesandotherregu­
lationsofcommerceimposedattheinstitution ofany.suchunion
orinterimagreementinrespectoftradewithcontracting parties
notpartiestosuchunionoragreementshallnotonthewholebe
higherormorerestrictive thanthegeneralincidenceoftheduties
\ -v -
andregulations ofcommerceapplicable intheconstituentterri­
toriespriortotheformationofsuchunionortheadoptionofsuch .
interimagreement,asthecasemaybe
Apreliminary balancesheetdrawnupbytheCommission "indicatesthatall
theconditions setoutinthearticlearefulfilled.
3.ArticleXXIVC63oftheGeneralAgreementstipulatesthat:
4
If,infulfilling therequirements ofsub-paragraph 5(a),a
contracting partyproposestoincreaseanyrateofdutyincon­
sistentlywiththeprovisionsofArticleII,theprocedureset
forthinArticleXXVIIIshallapply.";:•*:
ThismeansthattheCommunitymustunbindScheduleXXVofGreekconcessions
andmakeanyotherchangesrequiredinnegotiations underArticleXXIV.

-3-
4.Renegotiations weldbeonasmallerscalethantheoneswhichtook
placeatthetimeofthefirstenlargement ,sinceGreece'sexternal trade
i«notsogreatasthatofthethreenewMembersof1973 "takentogether .
Onthewhole,theincidence ofthissecondenlargement ontheGATTCon­
tracting Partiesisclearlypositive .Butalthoughitisthusinacredit
position ,theenlarged Community mustfulfilitsobligations under
Article XXEV(6)whichdealswiththebilateral effectsofenlargement .
5.Inorderthatitmayopenthenecessary negotiations ,theCommission
herebyrecommends thattheCounciladoptadecision underArticle 113of
theTreatyofRomeauthorizing theCommission toenterintonegotiations
underArticleXXIV(6)ofGATT.(Annex1)
6.TheCommission recommends likewise theadoption ofadecision bythe
Representatives oftheGovernments oftheMemberStatesoftheEuropean
%
CoalandSteelCommunity ,meetinginCouncil,witnaviewtoauthorizing
theopeningofnegotiations inthenameoftheMemberStatesonthepro­
ductscoveredbytheEuropean CoalandSteelCommunity (AnnexII).
Τι

-4-
-' ANNEXI
1 r
RECOMMENDATION FORACOUNCIL DECISION
concerning negotiations underArticle XXIV(6)oftheGeneral
.Agreement onTariffs andTrade
TheCounciloftheEuropean Communities ,'.
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
andinparticular Article113thereof, ''''
HavingregardtotheRecommendation fromtheCommission ,
Whereasfollowing theenlargement oftheCommunity theHellenic Republic's
tariffconcessions havetoberenegotiated inaccordance with
ArticleXXIV(6)oftheGeneralAgreement onTariffsandTrade,
HASDECIDED ASFOLLOWS :
SoleArticle
TheCommission isherebyauthorized toenterintonegotiations -under
ArticleXXIV(6)oftheGeneralAgreement onTariffsandTrade.
TheCommission shallconductthenegotiations inconsultation withthe
SpecialCommittee providedforinArticle 113of"theTreaty,whichwill
assistitinitstask.
DoneatBrussels ,,
FortheCouncil,
ThePresident

ANNEXII
DrartDécision
oftheRepresentatives oftheGovernments
cfMemberStatesoftheEGSC
meetinginCouncilregarding theopening
oftariffnegotiations underArticle XXIV:6
ofGATT
TheRepresentatives cftheGovernments oftheMemberStatesofthe
European CoalandSteelCommunity meetinginCouncil,
Havingtakennoteofthecommunication oftheCommission ,
WHEREAS ,following theenlargement oftheCommunities ,according tothe
provisions ofArticle XXIV,paragraph 6oftheGeneralAgreement on
TariffsandTrade,thetariffconcessions oftheHellenic Republic haveto
besubjecttorenegotiation
HAVEDECIDED ASFOLLOWS :
1.TheCommission isrequested toenterintonegotiations under
Article XXIV:6oftheGeneralAgreement onTariffsandTradein
respectofproducts coveredbytheEuropean CoalandSteelCommunity .
2.TheCommission willundertake thesenegotiations withtheassistance
ofrepresentatives ofMemberStates.