CELEX: 51988PC0631
Language: en
Date: 1988-11-18
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION accepting, on behalf of the Community, Resolution No 46 of the Group of Experts on Customs Questions affecting Transport of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) concerning measures to ensure the continued compliance of containers with the standards for transport of goods under customs seals (presented by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (88) 631
Vol. 1988/0210
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
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In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 concerning
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                 COM(88 ) 631 final
                                                 Brussels , 18 November 1988
                                        Proposai for a
                                       COUNCIL DECISION
             accepting , on behalf of the Community , Resolution No 46
        of the Group of Experts on Customs Questions affecting Transport
   of the Economic Commission for Europe ( ECE ) concerning measures to ensure
   the continued compliance of containers with' the standards for transport of
                                goods under customs seals
                            ( presented by the Commission )
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                           EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
The Customs Convention on the international transport of goods under
cover of TIR carnets ( TIR Convention ), signed in Geneva on 14 Novem ¬
ber 1975 , was approved on behalf of the Community by Council Regu ¬
lation ( EEC ) No 2112 / 78 of 25 July 1978 ( 1 ) and entered into force
on   20 June 1983 .
Annex 7 to that Convention is concerned with the approval of contai ¬
ners intended for the international transport of goods under customs
seal .
On 20 November 1987 the Group of Experts on Customs Questions affec ¬
ting Transport of the Economic Commission for Europe adopted Resolu ¬
tion No 46 intended to ensure at all times that containers comply
with the standards applicable to the transport of goods under
customs   seal .
The aim of this     Resolution is to indicate the rules to be observed
by customs authorities where they discover that containers intended
for the transport of goods do not or no longer comply with the stan ¬
dards by virtue of which they were approved for the transport of
goods under customs seal . The Resolution therefore aims to ensure
correct application of the TIR Convention and also to enable any
fraud which might be committed owing to alterations to or defective
construction of containers to be prevented or detected .
The Commission departments and the Community Member states partici ¬
pated very actively and in close collaboration with each other in
the drafting of this Resolution and in its adoption by the Group of
Experts . That is an indication of the Community 's interest in accep ¬
ting and implementing the Resolution .
The Resolution should      be accepted by the Community and its Member
States at one and the same time .
The Decision accepting the Resolution should be adopted as soon as
possible in order to strengthen the political impact resulting from
acceptance of the Resolution by the Community as a contracting par ¬
ty to the TIR Convention of 1975 .
( 1 ) OJ No L 252 , 14.09.1978 .
 ---pagebreak--- Conclus ion
The Commission proposes that the Council should ,  on behalf of  the
Community , accept Resolution No 46 of 20 November  1987 , adopted by
the Group of Experts on Customs questions affecting Transport of the
Economic Commission for Europe   intended to ensure at all times that
containers comply with the standards applicable to the transport of
goods under customs seal .
 ---pagebreak---                                    Proposai for a
                                 COUNCIL DECISION
accepting , on behalf of the Community , Resolution No 46 of the Group
of Experts on Customs Questions affecting Transport of the Economic
Commission for Europe ( ECE ) concerning measures to ensure the continued
compliance of containers with the standards for transport of goods under customs
 seals
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Com ¬
munity , and in particular Article 113 thereof ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
Whereas Resolution No 46 contains measures the effect of which , on
the one hand , is to ensure correct application of the TIR Convention
and , on the other hand , to enable any fraud which might be committed
owing to the non-compliance of          containers with the standards appli ¬
cable to the transport of goods under customs seal to be prevented
or detected ;
Whereas , by virtue of its content , the said Resolution is of the ut ¬
most interest to the Community and should therefore be accepted by
it with immediate effect ,
HAS   DECIDED   AS FOLLOWS :
                                     Article    1
Resolution No 46 of 20 November 1987 of the Group of Experts on
Customs Questions affecting Transport of the Economic Commission for
Europe concerning measures to ensure the continued compl i ance -of containers
with, the standards for transport of goods under customs seals is hereby accepted on
behalf of the Community with immediate effect .
The text of the Resolution is attached to this Decision .
                                                                                     4
 ---pagebreak---                                 Article 2
The President of the Council shall designate the person empowered to
notify the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe of
the acceptance by the Community , with immediate effect , of the
Resolution  referred to in Article  1 .
Done at                                      For the Council
                                              the president
                                                                      5^
 ---pagebreak---            MEASURES TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED COMPLIANCE OF CONTAINERS
         WITH THE STANDARDS FOR TRANSPORT OF GOODS UNDER CUSTOMS SEALS
                                 Résolution No . 46
              adopted on 20 November 1987 by the Group o€ Experts
                     on Customs Questions affecting Transport
     The Group of Experts on Customs Questions affecting Transport ,
     Beari ng in mi r.d the provisions of articles 13 and 14 of the Customs
Convention   on   the  International  Transport   of Goods under Cover of TIR
Carnets ( TIR Convention ( 1975 )) and annex 7 thereto ,
   ' Consideri ng the need for continued compliance of containers with the
standards for transport of goods under customs seals ;
     Recommends to the Contracting Parties to the TIR Convention ( 1975 ) the
following measures to ensure the continued compliance of containers with the
standards for transport of goods under customs seal ( articles 13 and 14 and
annex 7 of the TIR Convention ( 1975 ))  ;
1.     When a container has a serious defect and consequently no longer
complies with the standards under which it was approved for transport under
customs seal , the Customs should notify the party responsible for the
container and afford him the opportunity to restore the container to the
condition which had justified its approval if this can be accomplished
expeditiously . After the appropriate repairs to the container , it can
continue its trip under Customs seal . If the container is not properly
repaired cr if the party concerned prefers to have the container repaired in
another country where the approval of the container was given , the Customs
should either   :
 ---pagebreak---        ( a)  refuse sealing and transport approval if sealing is considered
necessary , or
       ( b)  remove the container from circulation and have the contents trans ¬
shipped to another means of transport , or
       (c)   allow the container to go forward under appropriate procedures
whi ch    do not  involve  any  ri sk of smuggli ng or loss  or  damage to  the
container 's contents , the defect being annotated on transit documents .
       If deemed necessary in order to ensure that the container will be pro¬
perly repaired , the Customs should cause the approval plate to be removed .
       2 . When the Customs causes the approval plate to be removed or when a
serious defect is discovered in a series of containers which renders them no
longer in compi ance with the standards under which they were approved for
transport under Customs seal , the approval authority or , where appropriate ,
the Customs administration responsible for the approval should be notified
accordingly . The original certifying authority should be invited to partici ¬
pate in the recertification process when it is conducted outside the terri ¬
tory of that Contracting Party .
 ---pagebreak--- Note :    A container shall be consi dered to have a serious defect if :
     ( a ) goods can be removed from or introduced into , the sealed part of
the container without leaving obvious traces of tampering or without
breaking the Customs seal ;
     ( b)   Customs  seals cannot be   simply and effectively affixed to the
container ;
     (c)    it contains concealed spaces where goods may be hidden ;
     ( d)   spaces capable of holding goods are not readily accessible for
Customs inspection .
     Requests the Contracting Parties to notify the Executive Secretary of
the Economic Commission for Europe , if possible by 1 July 1988 whether they
accept this resolution ;
     Requests the Executive Secretary to circulate the replies received from
Governments .