Commission Regulation (EC) No 1217/2007 of 18 October 2007 amending Annex III to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 on common rules for imports of certain textile products from third countries
Date: 2007-10-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: China, Uzbekistan, import policy, originating product, quantitative restriction, textile product, third country

L 275/16

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

19.10.2007

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1217/2007

of 18 October 2007

amending Annex III to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 on common rules for imports of
certain textile products from third countries

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 of 12
October 1993 on common rules of imports of certain textile
products from third countries (1), and in particular Articles 13
and 19 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

On 10 June 2005, the Commission and the Ministry of
Commerce (hereinafter referred to as ‘MOFCOM’) of the
People’s Republic of China signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (hereinafter referred to as ‘MoU’) on the
export of certain Chinese textile and clothing products to
the Community. This MoU introduced agreed levels on
certain textile product categories. The implementation of
the agreed levels will expire on 1 January 2008.

imports

from China

The MoU covers
into the
Community of ten textile product categories: category
2 (cotton fabrics), category 4 (T-shirts), category 5
(pullovers), category 6 (trousers), category 7 (blouses),
category 20 (bed linen), category 26 (dresses), category
31 (brassieres), category 39 (table and kitchen linen) and
category 115 (flax or ramie yarn). The corresponding
customs codes of those products are listed in Annex I
to Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93.

Smooth and orderly transition towards a fully liberalised
trade in textiles should be ensured for
the imports
concerned originating in China and presently under
agreed levels in the MoU. Based on a detailed analysis
for each MoU category comprising past and current utili-
zation, past and current agreed levels, past and current
import shares, and specific product
actual trade levels,
category sensitivities,
the Commission and MOFCOM
have come to the conclusion that the introduction of a
surveillance system is necessary, as there is a reasonable
likelihood that eight of the above ten textile product
categories under agreed levels in the MoU could be
subject to pressure from import originating in China in
2008. The
concerned are
category 4 (T-shirts), category 5 (pullovers), category 6

eight product

categories

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(trousers), category 7 (blouses), category 20 (bed linen),
category 26 (dresses),
category 31 (brassieres) and
category 115 (flax or ramie yarn).

The above conclusion on the need for surveillance was
that major other
also reached taking into account
consumer markets maintain restrictions against imports
of several textile product categories originating in China
until 31 December 2008.

In order to ensure the smooth transition towards a fully
liberalised trade in textiles it is necessary to monitor the
trends of imports of the above-mentioned eight textile
product categories listed in Annex I to Regulation (EEC)
No 3030/93 as much in advance as possible through the
establishment of an a priori surveillance system by means
of a double checking system on these products applicable
for a period of one year from 1 January 2008 until 31
December 2008.

The government of the People's Republic of China (PRC)
it will cooperate
has informed the Commission that
under
system for
the eight MoU categories from 1 January 2008 until
31 December 2008.

checking surveillance

the double

Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 should therefore be
amended accordingly.

In order to provide for clarity and predictability of the
import regime as from 1 January 2008, this Regulation
should be published in the Official Journal of the European
Union in good time.

Pursuant to Article 14(1) of Annex III, the release for free
circulation of products originating in China subject to
agreed levels under the MoU and shipped before 1
January 2008 continue to be subject
import
regime until 31 March 2008.

to that

the regime of double-checking
From 1 April 2008,
surveillance provided for
in this Regulation will be
applicable and import authorizations will be issued
against the export licence issued for those goods.

(1) OJ L 275, 8.11.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 54/2007 (OJ L 18, 25.1.2007, p. 1).

(10)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of the Textile Committee
set up by Article 17 of Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93,

19.10.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 275/17

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Annex III to Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 is amended as set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.

It shall apply from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008.

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

Done at Brussels, 18 October 2007.

For the Commission

Peter MANDELSON
Member of the Commission

L 275/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

19.10.2007

ANNEX

Annex III to Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93, Table A is replaced by the following:

‘Table A

Countries and categories subject to the system of double-checking surveillance

Third country

Group

Category

Unit

CHINA

GROUP I B

GROUP II A

GROUP II B

GROUP IV

UZBEKISTAN

GROUP I A

GROUP I B

GROUP II B

4

5

6

7

20

26

31

115

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

26

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

tonnes

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces’