Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2000 of 17 December 1999 on common rules for imports of footwear products originating in Vietnam
Date: 1999-12-17
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Viet Nam, export licence, footwear industry, import, originating product

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(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1/2000

of 17 December 1999

on common rules for imports of footwear products originating in Vietnam

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Article 3

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The common commercial policy must be based on
uniform principles;

The Commission antifraud services have found evidence
that consignments of footwear products were imported
into the Community on the basis of fraudulent declara-
tions of Vietnamese origin in the period 1994-1997;

The European Community and the Government of
Vietnam have negotiated a Memorandum of Under-
standing on the Prevention of Fraud in Trade in Foot-
wear Products (the ‘Memorandum’) which sets out a
double-checking
to the
system on the
Community of footwear products falling within Chapter
64 of the Harmonised System/Combined Nomenclature;

exports

It is necessary to set out common rules for the imple-
mentation of the double-checking system in the Euro-
pean Community,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

1.
This Regulation applies to all products falling within
Chapter 64 of the Harmonised System/Combined Nomencla-
ture originating in Vietnam and imported into the European
Community.

2.
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term ‘originating
products’ and the methods for verifying the origin of those
products shall be as defined by the relevant Community rules
in force.

Article 2

The release for free circulation in the Community of the prod-
ucts referred to in Article 1 shall be subject to the presentation
of an import certificate issued by the Member States' authori-
ties referred to in Article 11 in accordance with the procedure
set out in this Regulation.

The competent Vietnamese authorities shall

1.
issue an
export certificate in respect of the products referred to in
Article 1.

The export certificate shall conform to the specimen

2.
appended in the Annex.

The original of the export certificate shall be presented by
3.
the importer for the purposes of issuing the import certificate
referred to in Article 6. The competent authorities of a Member
State shall refuse to issue an import certificate for products
which are not covered by export certificates issued in accord-
ance with the provisions of this Regulation.

Article 4

Exports shall be recorded under the year in which the products
covered by the export certificate were shipped.

Article 5

The forms to be used by the competent authorities of the
1.
Member States for issuing the import certificates shall conform
to the specimen of the surveillance document set out in Annex
I to Council Regulation (EC) No 3285/94 of 22 December
1994 on the common rules for imports (1).

2.
The authorities of the Member States shall notify the
Commission of the requests for import certificates which they
have received.

The Commission shall notify to the authorities of the
3.
Member States its confirmation that the data contained in the
requests for import certificates are in conformity with the data
received from the competent Vietnamese authorities.

The notifications referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 shall
4.
be communicated electronically within the integrated network
setup for the SIGL management of the textile licences, unless
for imperative technical reasons it is necessary to use other
means of communication temporarily.

Article 6

1.
The competent authorities of the Member States shall
issue an import certificate within a maximum of five working
days from the presentation by the importer of the original of
the corresponding export certificate. This presentation must

(1) OJ L 349, 31.12.1994, p. 53. Regulation as amended by Regulation

(EC) No 139/96 (OJ L 21, 27.1.1996, p. 7).

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take place not later than 30 June of the year following that in
which the goods covered by the certificate were shipped.
Import certificates shall be valid throughout the customs terri-
tory of the Community.

other, marked ‘Copy for the competent authority’ and bearing
the number 2, to be kept by the authority issuing the certifi-
cate. For administrative purposes the competent authorities
may add additional copies to form 2.

The import certificates shall be valid for six months from
2.
the date of their issue, with the possibility of a further exten-
sion of three months by the competent authorities of the
Member State concerned.

3.
The request made by the importer to the competent
authorities of the Member States for the purpose of obtaining
the import certificate shall contain:

(a) the names of the importer and full address (including, if
any, telephone and fax number, and identification number
registered with the competent national authorities), and
VAT registration number,

if it is a VAT payer;

(b) name and full address of declarant;

(c) name and full address of exporter;

(d) the country of origin of the products and the country of

consignment;

(e) a description of the products as contained in the export

certificate;

(f) the quantity of each shipment;

(g) date and issue number of the export certificate;

(h) date and signature of importer.

The competent authorities may, under the conditions fixed by
them, allow the submission of requests to be transmitted or
printed by electronic means. However, all documents and
evidence must be available to the competent authorities of the
Member States.

Importers shall not be obliged to import

4.
the total
quantity covered by an import certificate in a single consign-
ment.

Article 7

The validity of import certificates issued by the authorities of
the Member States shall be subject to the validity of the export
certificates issued by the competent Vietnamese authorities on
the basis of which the import certificates have been issued.

Article 8

Import certificates shall be issued without discrimination to
any importer in the Community wherever the place of his
establishment may be in the Community.

Article 9

1.
Import certificate forms and extracts thereof shall be
drawn up in duplicate, one copy, marked ‘Holder's copy’ and
bearing the number 1 to be issued to the applicant, and the

2.
Forms shall be printed on white paper free of mechanical
pulp, dressed for writing and weighing between 55 and 65
grams per square metre. Their size shall be 210 × 297 mm;
the type space between the lines shall be 4,24 mm; (one sixth
of an inch); the layout of the forms shall be followed precisely.
Both sides of copy No 1, which is the certificate itself, shall in
addition have a yellow printed guilloche pattern background so
as to reveal any falsification by mechanical or chemical means.

3. Member States shall be responsible for having the forms
printed. The forms may also be printed by printers appointed
by the Member State in which they are established. In the latter
case, reference to the appointment by the Member State must
appear on each form. Each form shall bear an indication of the
printer's name and address or a mark enabling the printer to be
identified.

At

the time of

4.
their issue the import certificates or
extracts shall be given an issue number determined by the
competent authorities of the Member State. The import certifi-
cate number shall be notified to the Commission electronically
within the integrated network set up under Article 14 of
Council Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 of 12 October 1993 on
common rules for imports of certain textile products from
third countries (1).

5.
Certificates and extracts shall be completed in the official
language, or one of the official languages, of the Member State
of issue.

6.
The marks of the issuing agencies and debiting authorities
shall be applied by means of a stamp. However, an embossing
press combined with letters or figures obtained by means of
perforation, or printing on the certificate may be substituted
for the issuing authority's stamp. The issuing authorities shall
use any tamper-proof method to record the quantity allocated
in such a way as to make it impossible to insert figures or
references (e.g. *EUR*1,000*).

7.
If the space set aside for debits on a certificate or extract
thereof is insufficient, the competent authorities may attach
one or more extension pages bearing boxes matching those on
the reverse of copy No 1 and copy No 2 of the certificate or
extract. The debiting authorities shall so place their stamp that
one half is on the certificate or extract thereof and the other
half is on the extension page. If there is more than one exten-
sion page, a further stamp shall be placed in like manner across
each page and the preceding page.

8.
Import certificates and extracts issued, and entries and
endorsements made, by the authorities of one Member State
shall have the same legal effect in each of the other Member
States as documents issued, and entries and endorsements
made, by the authorities of such Member States.

(1) OJ L 275, 8.11.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commis-
sion Regulation (EC) No 1072/1999 (OJ L 134, 28.5.1999, p. 1).

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The

competent

the Member States
authorities of
9.
concerned may, where indispensable, require the contents of
certificates or extracts to be translated into the official language
or one of the official

languages of that Member State.

The import certificate may be issued by electronic
10.
means as long as the customs offices involved have access to
this certificate across a computer network.

Article 10

The duplicate shall bear the date of the original certificate.

Article 11

The competent authorities of the Member States referred to in
this Regulation shall be those mentioned in Article 2(7) of
Regulation (EC) No 520/94 (1) and in Article 2 of Commission
Regulation (EC) No 738/94 (2).

The list of the competent authorities referred to in the first
paragraph has been last published in Annex III to Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1369/99 (3).

In the event of theft, loss or destruction of an export certificate,
import certificate or a certificate of origin, the exporter may
apply to the competent authority which issued the document
for a duplicate to be made out on the basis of the export
documents in his possession. The duplicate certificate issued in
this way shall bear the endorsement ‘duplicata’ or ‘duplicate’ or
‘duplicado’.

Article 12

into force on the third day
This Regulation shall enter
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

It shall apply from 1 January 2000 until the end of the period
of application of the Memorandum (4).

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 17 December 1999.

For the Council

The President

K. HEMILÄ

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 520/94 of 7 March 1994 establishing a
Community procedure for administering quantitative quotas,
(OJ L
66, 10.03.1994, p 1). Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC)
No 138/96 (OJ L 21, 27.1.1996, p. 6).

(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 738/94 of 30 of March 1994
laying down certain rules for the implementation of Council Regula-
tion (EC) No 520/94 establishing a Community procedure for admi-
nistering quantitative quotas, (OJ L 87, 31.03.1994, p. 47). Regula-
tion as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 983/96 (OJ L
131, 1.6.1996, p. 47).

(3) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1369/1999 of 25 June 1999 esta-
blishing administrative procedures for the 2000 quantitative quotas
for certain products originating in the People's Republic of China,
(OJ L 162, 26.06.1999, p. 35).

(4) In case the period of application of the Memorandum is extended
in accordance with Article 7(2) thereof, a notice will be published
by the Commission in the Official Journal of the European Communi-
ties ‘C’ series.

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ANNEX

‘ANNEX I

1. Goods consigned from (exporter’s business name, address,

country)

EXPORT CERTIFICATE FOR PRODUCTS UNDER CHAPTER 64 OF
HARMONISED SYSTEM

ORIGINAL

2. Goods consigned to (consignee’s name, address, country)

3. Means of transport and route (as far as known)

4. Issue Number

(Footwear Products)

5. Export year

6. Description of goods

7. Quantity

8. FOB/Contract

value

9. Certification by the competent authority

I, the undersigned, certify that the goods described above originate in Vietnam according to the rules of origin laid down by the relevant
Community legislation.

10. Competent authority

(name, full address, country)

At ...................................... on ......................................

(signature) (cid:1)(stamp)

......................

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Appendix A to Annex I

Explanatory note concerning item 4 (issue number) of the Export Certificate

The issue number shall consist of the following elements:

— 2 letters identifying Vietnam as follows: VN;

— 2 letters identifying the Member State foreseen as the country of destination as follows,

AT = Austria
BL = Benelux
DE = Germany
DK = Denmark
EL = Greece
ES = Spain
FI = Finland
FR = France
GB = United Kingdom
IE = Ireland
IT = Italy
PT = Portugal
SE = Sweden

— one number indicating the year of issue, for example 9 for 1999;

— two numbers, from 01 to 99,

indicating the issuing office for the export certificate;

— a number with five digits between 50000 and 99999 allocated to the Member States foreseen as the country

of destination.'