CELEX: 51988PC0687
Language: en
Date: 1988-12-21
Title: Draft DECISION OF THE ACP-EEC CUSTOMS COOPERATION COMMITTEE derogating from the definition of the concept of 'originating products' to take account of the special situation of Mauritius with regard to its production of canned tuna#Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) regarding the application of Decision of the ACP-EEC Customs Cooperation Committee derogating from the definition of the concept of 'originating products' to take account of the special situation of Mauritius with regard to its production of canned tuna#(presented by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (88) 687
Vol. 1988/0225
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                    COM(88 ) 687 final
                                                    Brussels, 21 December 1988
                                          Draft
           DECISION OF THE ACP-EEC CUSTOMS COOPERATION COMMITTEE
 derogating from the definition of the concept of 'originating products'
           to take account of the special situation of Mauritius
                with regard to its production of canned tuna
                                  Proposal for a
                            COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
                    regarding the application of Decision
     of the ACP-EEC Customs Cooperation Committee derogating from the
definition of the concept of 'originating products' to take account of
   the special situation of Mauritius with regard to its production of
                                    canned tuna
                        ( presented by the Commission )
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 ---pagebreak---                                   ETïPî    .TUS3T POTS
Sines 1977 , Mauritius has been granted a series of derogations from the rules
of origin or the Lome Convention, for its exports of canned tuna to tne
Community . These derogations resulted from the difficulties encountered by the
single canning plant on the island in being supplied reguJarly with tuna from
ACP or Community states .
In 1973 this situation , which results from a still unreliable fishing
environment in the Indian Ocean , was partially improved by the Mauritian tuna
canning company 3 s acquisition of a fishing vessel . Whilst the catch of native
fish was increased and regularized , the vessels *s capacity was not sufficient
to bring the yield of the Mauritian industry up to a minimum level .         Further
progress was made in 1987 , when a second vessel was bought .         However , this
second vessel is not yet reliably contributing to the cannery the expected
quantities of raw fish , due to initial teething problems caused by recurrent
mechanical failures and by the need to complete the training of the new local
crew .
The latest derogation expired on 29 February 1988 and in a letter received by
the Commission on 14 June 1988 ,        the AGP States requested an extension on
behalf of Mauritius ,
Under the terms of      the request , Mauritius is seeking the renewal of the
derogation for a three-year period , in accordance with the procedure laid down
in Article 30 of Protocol No . 1 to the Lorr.S Convention , for a quantity of 1 000
tonnes of preserved tuna per annum .
The reasons given by Mauritius are as follows :
    -  the situation as regards supplies of tuna         in the region has only
       improved in the sense that the Mauritian company has obtained
       occasional fish supplies from Community and ACP vessels , but these do
       not offer the guaranteed regularity necessary :
    -  the intake of native fish by the Mauritian vessels remains insufficient ,
       especially from the point of view of continuity ?
                                                                                     г' У
 ---pagebreak---                                         2
        the Mauritian canning company has undertaken important investments to
        improve the economic viability of their activity , and the jobs of the
        workforce ( 489 ) cannot be safeguarded without a relatively long
        period of derogation .
During the negotiation leading up to the last renewal of the Lome Convention , a
great stumbling block in the discussions was the question of rules of origin
governing fishery products ;    the Community was able to avoid fundamental
changes only by undertaking , under Annex XXX in particular , to examine in a
positive spirit the requests for derogations presented by the ACP States .
Although the Mauritian request does not come under the criteria of the
declaration in Annex XXX the ACP States will attach special significance to the
way in which it is handled , in particular following the unfortunate experience
encountered in 1986 by Fiji , to which a derogation could not be granted before
their potential market had vanished .
This is of central importance in the light of the re-examination of matters
relating to origin as applied to fishing which had been originally planned for
the first year of the Convention 's implementation and which the ACP 's have
already requested at the 17th meeting of the EEC-ACP Customs Cooperation
meeting in January , 1988 .
Finally , the Community will more than certainly find itself stuck in
undesirable major discussions on the rules of origin for fishery products wnen
the next Convention is negotiated if we appear to try to avoid the commitments
underwritten at the time of the adoption of the present Convention .
 ---pagebreak--- For thesa reasons the commission        proposes  to   respond favourably    to  the
Mauritian request , as follows :
      ( i)   the new derogation will be implemented from 1 July 1988 till 28
             February 1990 , when the third Lome Convention expires , in accordance
             with the procedure provided for in Article 30 ( 8 ) ( a ) of Protocol 1
             to Lome III .
      ( ii ) the annual ceiling will be 1.000 tonnes of canned tuna .
             This amount is the same as in the past and represents a tiny
             percentage of total Community imports . ( 1 )
( 1 ) See Annex
 ---pagebreak---                                           ANNEXE
                           Importations de conserves de thon
                                    dans la Communauté
                                  code NIMEXE 16.04 75
                                  ( Source : EUROSTAT )
                 1985 ( EUR 10 )              1986 ( EUR 12 )           1987 ( EUR 12 )
ORIGINE    t urines     *0
                                       tonnes    tv
                                                 /O      +/- %   tonnes    %     +/- %
 Pays        71 146   100               73627   100     + 3,48 %  88371 100     +24,21
  tiers
 ACP         51692   72,65              48568  65,96    - 6,69    58698 66,39 - 6,26
  Ile         3331    4,68               3051   4,14    - 0,54     2738   3.09 - 1,59
llaur i ce
Montant       1000    1,40               1000   1,35    - 0,05     1000   1,13 - 0,27
de la
déroga ¬
tion
 ---pagebreak---                                        Draft
                   Decision    of the ACP-EEC Customs Cooperation Committee
       derogating from the definition of the concept of 'originating products'
                to take account of the special situation of Mauritius
                           regard to its production of canned tuna
 THE ACP-EEC CUSTOMS COOPERATION COMMITTEE ,
 Having regard to the third ACP-EEC Convention , signed at Lome on 8 december
 1984 ,
 Whereas Articles 28 and 30 of Protocol 1 to the Third APC-EEC Convention
 concerning the definition of the concept of originating products and methods of
 administrative cooperation make provision for derogations to be made from the
 rules of origin by the Customs Cooperation Committee , in particular to
 facilitate the development of existing industries or the creation of new
 industries ;
Whereas the African , Caribbean and Pacific ( ACP ) States have submitted a
request rrom tno .Government:      Mauritius for a derogation from the definition
set out in Protocol No . 1 in respect of canned tuna produced by Mauritius ;
Whereas , in order to maintain its existing fishery industry and to take the
measures necessary for its finished products to obtain originating status ,
Mauritius has from 1 March 1985 to 29 February 1988 benefited from a derogation
from the rule set out in protocol No . 1 for canned tuna ;
Whereas Mauritius has already purchased two vessels with a view to supplying
the canneries with raw fish for its production of canned tuna ;
Whereas the vessels ,    while increasing their catches    steadily , are not in a
position to supply in a reliable way sufficient quantities of tuna fish for the
canneries ; whereas the problem appears to be of a temporary nature and likely
to be solved as soon as the second of the said vessels becomes fully operative ;
Whereas Mauritius has been able to obtain supplies of fish originating in other
ACP States , or in the Community ; whereas , however , there is no guarantee , for
the moment , that such supplies can be regularly obtained , and therefore ,    the
Mauritius canning industry may need to call upon supplies of tuna fish from
third countries    in  order   to continue   its exports  of  canned  tuna  to the
Community ;
 ---pagebreak---                                          2
Whereas in these circumstances a temporary derogation from the definition of
the concept of originating products should be accorded to Mauritius in
accordance with Article 30 ( 8 ) of Protocol 1 ; whereas it seems appropriate to
grant such a derogation for a period expiring on 28 February 1990 , when the
Convention also expires ;
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS :
 ---pagebreak---                                           3
                                      Article   1
By way of derogation from the special provisions of List A in Annex II to
 Protocol No . 1 , canned tuna falling within heading No . 16*04 of the Common
Customs Tariff and        manufactured by Mauritius shall be considered as
originating in Mauritius under the conditions set out in this Decision .
                                     Article   2
The derogation provided for in Article 1 shall relate to an annual quantity of
 1 000 tonnes of canned tuna falling within heading No . 16.04 of the Common
Customs Tariff and exported from Mauritius between 1 July 1988 and 28 February
 1990 .
                                     Article   3
The competent authorities of Mauritius shall take the necessary steps to carry
out quantitative checks on exports of the products referred to in Article 2 and
shall   forward   to the  Commission   every  three  months  a statement  of  the
quantities in respect of which movement certificates EUR 1 have been issued on
the basis of this Decision .
                                     Article  4
The ACP States , the Member States and the Community shall be bound , each to the
extent to which it is concerned , to take the measures necessary to implement
this Decision .
                                     Article  5
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption .
Done at Brussels ,
                                     For the ACP-EEC Customs
                                      Cooperation Committee
                                         The Chairmen
 ---pagebreak---                             Proposai for a
                         COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
                 regarding the application of Decision
                      of the ACP-EEC Customs Cooperation Committee
       derogating frcm the definition of the concept of 'originating products'
                to take account of the special situation of Mauritius
                      with regard to its production of canned tuna
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community , and
in particular Article 113 thereof ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
whereas the ACP-EEC Customs Cooperation Committee set up under the Third
ACP-EEC Convention , signed at Lome on 8 december 1984 ( 1 ), adopted , pursuant to
Articles 28    (3)  and 30 of Protocol No .    1 to the Convention ,  Decision No  ....
derogating from the definition of the concept of " originating products " to take
account of the special situation of Mauritius with regard to its production of
canned tuna ;
Whereas ,   in accordance with     Article 33   of  the said Protocol   No . 1 and with
article 4 of the above mentioned Decision , the measures required to implement
that Decision should be taken ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION      :
( 1 ) O.J. No  L 86    31 March 1986 .
 ---pagebreak---                                         2
                                   Artide    1
Decision No . of the ACP-HEC Customs Cooperation Committee attached to
this Regulation shall apply in the Community .
                                   Article  2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the
Official journal of the European Communities .
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all
Member States .
Done at Brussels ,
                                               For the Council
                                               The president
                                                                                A€
 ---pagebreak---                                 FICHE FINANCIERE
                              PROJET DE DECISION
                       DU COMITE DE COOPERATION DOUANIERE
                                    ACP-CEE
portant dérogation à la définition de la notion de produits originaires
pour tenir compte de la situation particulière de l' Ile Maurice en ce qui
concerne sa production de conserves ae thon .
                           PROJET DE REGLEMENT ( CEE )
                                   DU CONSEIL
relatif à l' application de la décision n°            du comité de coopération
douanière ACP-CEE portant dérogation à la définition de la notion de
" produits originaires " pour tenir compte de la situation particulière de
l' Ile Maurice en ce qui concerne sa production de conserves de thon .
il n' est pas possible d' établir un lien direct entre l' octroi de la
dérogation et une perte de recettes . Si la dérogation n' est pas accordée ,
il n' est pas possible de déterminer à l' avance auprès de quels fournisseurs
( préférentiels ou non ) le marché communautaire s' approvisionnera .
A titre d' information on peut mentionner les données suivantes :
Valeur CIF moyenne des importations
originaires de l' Ile Maurice
pour les conserves de thon en 1986          : 2966 ECU/tonne
                                              ( source : EUROSTAT )
Taux de droit                               : 24 %
Montant des droits pour 1 tonne            :  712 ECUS
 ---pagebreak---                                FICHE D' IMPACT
             SUR LA COMPETITIVTE ET L' EMPLOI DANS LA COMMUNAUTE
La proposition n' a aucun impact sur la compétitivité et l' emploi dans la
Communauté .
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