Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other part, concerning Protocol 2 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation - Agreed Minutes
Date: 2000-03-17
Institutions: European Community, Switzerland
Subjects: Switzerland, agreement (EU), agricultural product, agricultural trade, import policy, protocol to an agreement, revision of an agreement

L 76/12

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25.3.2000

AGREEMENT IN THE FORM OF AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS

between the European Community, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other part,
concerning Protocol 2 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the
Swiss Confederation

A. Letter from the Community

Brussels, 17 March 2000

Sir,

I have the honour to confirm that the European Community is in agreement with the ‘Agreed minutes’
attached to this letter concerning a number of changes to the import arrangements applied by the
Community and the Swiss Confederation respectively to processed agricultural products, certain of which
are covered by Protocol 2 to the 1972 Free Trade Agreement. These changes precede an overall revision of
Protocol 2 to be initiated shortly.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that the Government of the Swiss Confederation is in agreement
with the contents of this letter.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

For the European Community

25.3.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 76/13

AGREED MINUTES

I.

Introduction

A number of meetings were held between European Commission officials and officials of the Swiss
Confederation following a significant increase in exports of lemonade from Switzerland into the
European Community.

After these meetings, it was agreed to submit for approval to their respective authorities a number of
changes to the import arrangements applied by the Community and the Swiss Confederation respec-
tively to processed agricultural products, certain of which are covered by Protocol 2 to the 1972 free
trade agreement.

These changes will enter into force on 1 April 2000. As far as Switzerland is concerned, pending
internal procedures for the ratification of this agreement, it will be applied provisionally from 1 April
2000.

As regards soft drinks, the two parties may decide, before the end of the second year following the
entry into force of this agreement, to extend the measures laid down therein on the basis of the
provisions of the Free Trade Agreement.

II. Swiss import arrangements

1. The Swiss Confederation will open the following annual tariff quotas for the European Community:

Swiss tariff codes

Description

Quotas

0505.1090

Feathers of a kind used for stuffing and down,
other than raw, washed.

12 t

Applicable rate
of duty

Exempt

2202.1000

Waters,
including mineral waters and aerated
waters, containing added sugar or other sweet-
ening matter or flavoured.

35 milion l

Exempt

2202.9090

Other non-alcoholic beverages.

13 milion l

Exempt

2402.2020

Cigarettes containing tobacco, with a maximum
unit weight of 1,35 g

242 t

2403.1000

Smoking tobacco, whether or not containing
tobacco substitutes in any proportion.

99 t

Exempt

Exempt

2. The following year, the quotas will be increased by 10 %.

III. Community import arrangements

1. The Community will open the following annual quotas for Switzerland:

CN code

Description

Quotas

1302 20 10

Pectic substances, pectinates and pectates: dry

605 t

2101 11 11

Extracts, essences and concentrates with a coffee-
based dry matter content of 95 % or more by
weight

1 870 t

Applicable rate
of duty

Exempt

Exempt

L 76/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25.3.2000

CN code

Description

Quotas

2101 20 20

Extracts, essences and concentrates of tea or maté

132 t

2106 90 92

Food preparations/other containing no milk fats,
glucose
sucrose,
or
containing, by weight,
less than 1,5 % milk fat,
5 % sucrose or isoglucose, 5 % glucose or starch

isoglucose,

starch

or

935 t

Applicable rate
of duty

Exempt

Exempt

2. The following year, the quotas will be increased by 10 %.

3. Soft drinks

— the Community will open an annual duty-exempt quota for the Swiss Confederation, for goods
classified within CN Codes 2202 10 00 (waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters,
containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or flavoured) and ex 2202 90 10 (other
drinks containing sugar), for the following quantity: 75 million l,

— outside this quota allocation, the import duty will be 9,1 %.

— in the following years, if the quota has been used up, it will be increased by 10 % on an annual
basis. If the quota has not been used up, soft drinks referred to in the first indent will again be
governed by a free trade arrangement.

IV. As regards rules of origin, the provisions of Protocol 3 of the Switzerland-EC Free Trade Agreement will

apply.

25.3.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 76/15

B. Letter from Switzerland

Brussels, 17 March 2000

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of todays' date which reads as follows:

‘I have the honour to confirm that the European Community is in agreement with the “Agreed minutes”
attached to this letter concerning a number of changes to the import arrangements applied by the
Community and the Swiss Confederation respectively to processed agricultural products, certain of
which are covered by Protocol 2 to the 1972 Free Trade Agreement. These changes precede an overall
revision of Protocol 2 to be initiated shortly.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that the Government of the Swiss Confederation is in
agreement with the contents of this letter.’

I have the honour to confirm that my Government is in agreement with the contents of your letter and the
proposed date of entry into force of the amendments.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

For the Government of the Swiss Confederation