Council Regulation (EC) No 1671/2000 of 20 July 2000 amending Regulation (EEC) No 918/83 as regards a temporary derogation for duty-free imports of beer into Finland
Date: 2000-07-20
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Finland, beer, derogation from EU law, exemption from customs duties, quantitative restriction

29.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 193/11

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1671/2000

of 20 July 2000

amending Regulation (EEC) No 918/83 as regards a temporary derogation for duty-free imports of
beer into Finland

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

reduce this amount to EUR 90 for travellers under 15
years of age.

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 26 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1),

Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social
Commitee (2),

Whereas:

Article 26 of Council Directive 92/12/EEC of 25
February 1992 on the general arrangements for products
subject to excise duty and on the holding, movement
and monitoring of such product (3), grants Finland the
right to maintain a quantitative limit for beer acquisi-
tions from other Member States of 15 litres, as laid
down in the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and
Sweden, which is exempted from Finnish taxes.

(1)

(2)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

Finland has requested a derogation from these values
and has asked to apply a quantitative limitation for
duty-free beer imports from third countries.

A limit of not less than 6 litres of beer seems appro-
priate, regard being had to the geographical situation of
Finland and the economic difficulties of Finnish retailers
located in the border regions and the considerable loss
of revenue caused by the increased duty-free imports of
beer from third countries.

It is necessary to set a time limit for this derogation in
order to ensure that the equal treatment of travellers
throughout the Community is ensured after a trans-
itional period.

than the restriction for beer

It is appropriate to maintain this derogation two years
longer
imported into
Finland from other Member States, in order to allow the
Finnish retail trade to adapt to the new situtation,

Finland should take measures to ensure that imports of
beer from third countries are not allowed under more
favourable conditions than such imports from other
Member States.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

(3) Whereas Article 45 of Council Regulation (EEC) No
918/83, of 28 March 1983 setting up a Community
system of reliefs from customs duty (4), provides that
goods contained in the personal
luggage of travellers
coming from a third country shall be admitted free of
import duties, provided that such imports are of a non-
commercial nature.

(4)

In accordance with Article 47 of regulation (EEC) No
918/83, the total value of beer admissible free of import
duties may not exceed EUR 175 per traveller. In accord-
ance with Article 47(2) thereof, Member States may

(1) Opinion delivered on 14 June 2000 (not yet published in the Offi-

cial Journal)

(2) Opinion delivered on 24 May 2000 (not yet published in the Offi-

cial Journal)

(3) OJ L 76, 23.3.1992, p.1. Directive as last amended by Directive

96/99/EC (OJ L 8, 11.1.1997, p.12).

(4) OJ L 105, 23.4.1983, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regula-

tion (EC) No 355/94 (OJ L 46, 18.2.1994, p. 5).

Article 1

The following Article shall be inserted in Regulation (EEC) No
918/83:

‘Article 47b

By way of derogation from the values set out in Article 47,
Finland shall be authorised until 31 December 2005 to
apply a quantitative limit of not less than 6 litres for
duty-free imports of beer.’

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 November 2000.

L 193/12

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

29.7.2000

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

Done at Brussels, 20 July 2000.

For the Council

The President

F. PARLY