Commission Decision (EU) 2025/1969 of 1 October 2025 on relief from import duties granted for goods to be distributed or made available free of charge to victims of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte (France), an outermost territory of the Union (notified under document C(2025) 6567)
Date: 2025-10-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission
Subjects: France, Mayotte, aid to disaster victims, cyclone, exemption from customs duties, import (EU), peripheral region, regional aid, surveillance concerning imports, tariff exemption




L_202501969EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/1969


2.10.2025







            COMMISSION DECISION (EU) 2025/1969
of 1 October 2025
         
on relief from import duties granted for goods to be distributed or made available free of charge to victims of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte (France), an outermost territory of the Union


(notified under document C(2025) 6567)


(Only the French text is authentic)


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 of 16 November 2009 setting up a Community system of reliefs from customs duty (1), and in particular Article 76, first paragraph, thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


On 14 December 2024, Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte (France), an outermost territory of the Union. That cyclone constitutes a disaster within the meaning of Chapter XVII, Section C (Articles 74 to 80), of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009. There is, therefore, reason to authorise duty-free importation of goods which satisfy the requirements set out in Articles 74 to 80 of that Regulation.












(2)


On 24 December 2024, the French authorities requested authorisation to apply relief from customs duties on imported goods destined for the victims of Cyclone Chido. On 8 January 2025, further information was requested from France. France sent such information on 14 February and complemented it with additional information on 29 April 2025.












(3)


On the basis of the information submitted by France, it is appropriate to grant France relief from import duties chargeable on goods imported for the purposes referred to in Article 74 of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009.












(4)


In order to monitor importations for which the relief of import duties is granted and to ensure the correct application of this Decision, France should communicate the nature and quantities of the goods admitted free of import duties with a view to being distributed or made available free of charge to victims of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte (France).












(5)


In order to ensure compliance with the conditions laid down in this Decision, prevent irregularities and protect the financial interests of the Union and of the Member States, France is to report to the Commission, within the deadline established by this Decision, risk management and customs controls applied in accordance with Article 46 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) with respect to the release for free circulation and use of goods for which the relief from customs duties is granted.












(6)


Taking into consideration the extreme challenges that Mayotte (France) has faced because of Cyclone Chido, relief from import duties should be granted in respect of importations made into France from 16 December 2024 to 16 June 2025.












(7)


On 27 June 2025, the Member States were consulted in accordance with Article 76, first paragraph, of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1

1.   From 16 December 2024 to 16 June 2025, goods shall be admitted free of import duties as defined in Article 2(1), point (a), of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009, to France, where the following conditions are fulfilled:






(a)


the goods are intended for one of the following uses:






(i)


for distribution free of charge by the bodies and organisations referred to in point (c); for the benefit of the victims of the cyclone which occurred in Mayotte (France) in December 2024 (‘Cyclone Chido’);










(ii)


to be made available free of charge to the victims of Cyclone Chido while remaining the property of the bodies and organisations referred to in point (c);














(b)


the goods satisfy the requirements laid down in Articles 75, 78, 79 and 80 of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009;










(c)


the goods are imported for release for free circulation (in France, including Mayotte) by, or on behalf of, State organisations including State bodies, public bodies and other bodies governed by public law or by, or on behalf, other charitable or philantropic organisations approved by the competent authorities of France, provided the goods are intended to be used in Mayotte (France).






2.   The goods shall be admitted free from import duties as defined in Article 2(1), point (a), of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 under the conditions set out in paragraph 1 of this Article where they are imported for release for free circulation and intended to be used by disaster relief agencies in order to meet the needs of those agencies.



Article 2
By 31 October 2025, France shall communicate to the Commission the following information:






(a)


in consolidated form, regarding the goods admitted free of import duties pursuant to Article 1:






(i)


customs declaration number;










(ii)


acceptance date of the customs declaration;










(iii)


Combined Nomenclature code;










(iv)


Integrated Tariff of the European Communities code (TARIC);










(v)


net mass;










(vi)


supplementary unit, if applicable;










(vii)


value of the goods;










(viii)


duty rate;










(ix)


amount of uncollected duties;










(x)


origin of the goods;










(xi)


the titles of the bodies and organisations referred to in Article 1(1), point (c);














(b)


a list of approved State organisations in charge of distributing and making available goods benefitting from the relief from duties to victims of the cyclone;










(c)


the measures taken to ensure compliance with Articles 78, 79 and 80 of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009;










(d)


the risk management and, where appropriate, customs control measures undertaken by France pursuant to Article 46 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013, with regard to goods admitted free of import duties pursuant to Article 1 of this Decision.






Article 3
This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.
It shall apply from 16 December 2024.




Done at Brussels, 1 October 2025.


For the Commission


The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN
            





(1)  
            OJ L 324, 10.12.2009, p. 23, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1186/oj.

(2)  Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code (OJ L 269, 10.10.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/952/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1969/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)