Commission Regulation (EEC) No 553/81 of 12 February 1981 on certificates of origin and applications for such certificates
Official Journal L 059 , 05/03/1981 P. 0001 - 0002
Spanish special edition: Chapter 02 Volume 7 P. 0244
Portuguese special edition Chapter 02 Volume 7 P. 0244
++++
COMMISSION REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 553/81
OF 12 FEBRUARY 1981
ON CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN AND APPLICATIONS FOR SUCH CERTIFICATES
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
HAVING REGARD TO THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY ,
HAVING REGARD TO COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 802/68 OF 27 JUNE 1968 ON THE COMMON DEFINITION OF THE CONCEPT OF THE ORIGIN OF GOODS ( 1 ) , AND IN PARTICULAR ARTICLE 14 THEREOF ,
WHEREAS REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 802/68 PROVIDES IN ARTICLE 10 THAT CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN FOR GOODS ORIGINATING IN AND EXPORTED FROM THE COMMUNITY MUST COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS PRESCRIBED BY ARTICLE 9 OF THAT REGULATION ;
WHEREAS , WITH A VIEW TO ENSURING THAT THOSE PROVISIONS WERE RESPECTED IN A UNIFORM MANNER , THE COMMISSION LAID DOWN IN REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 582/69 ( 2 ) THE FORMS OF CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN AND APPLICATION FOR SUCH CERTIFICATES ; WHEREAS THOSE FORMS WERE LATER MODIFIED BY REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 518/72 ( 3 ) ; WHEREAS , HOWEVER , THAT MODIFIED VERSION IS NO LONGER IN CONFORMITY WITH THE MOST RECENT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ; WHEREAS , IN PARTICULAR , IT IS NOT IN CONFORMITY WITH THE LAYOUT KEY RECOMMENDED BY THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE IN GENEVA FOR DOCUMENTS USED IN EXTERNAL TRADE ; WHEREAS , IN ORDER TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THAT RECOMMENDATION , IT IS DESIRABLE TO ADAPT THE SPECIMEN CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN AND APPLICATION FOR SUCH CERTIFICATE TO THE LAYOUT KEY ;
WHEREAS REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 582/69 FURTHERMORE PROVIDED THAT THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES OR AUTHORIZED AGENCIES MUST RETAIN THE ORIGINAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE CERTIFICATES FOR A MINIMUM PERIOD OF THREE YEARS ;
WHEREAS EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN , ON THE ONE HAND , THAT A SHORTER PERIOD OF RETENTION IS SUFFICIENT , AND ON THE OTHER HAND , THAT COMMERCIAL DOCUMENTS ARE INCREASINGLY BEING KEPT IN THE FORM OF COPIES , WHICH ARE OFTEN REDUCED-SCALE COPIES ;
WHEREAS THE PRESENT MINIMUM PERIOD FOR THE RETENTION OF APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE REDUCED TO TWO YEARS AND AT THE SAME TIME , SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS , THE RETENTION OF APPLICATIONS IN THE FORM OF COPIES , WHICH MAY BE REDUCED-SCALE COPIES , SHOULD BE PERMITTED ;
WHEREAS , AS THIS REGULATION REPLACES REGULATIONS ( EEC ) NO 582/69 AND ( EEC ) NO 518/72 , THOSE REGULATIONS SHOULD BE REPEALED ;
WHEREAS , HOWEVER , IN ORDER TO ALLOW EXISTING STOCKS OF SUCH FORMS TO BE USED UP , THE SIMULTANEOUS USE OF OLD-STYLE AND NEW-STYLE FORMS SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME ;
WHEREAS THIS REGULATION IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON ORIGIN ,
HAS ADOPTED