CELEX: 51987PC0486
Language: en
Date: 1987-10-22
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1736/75 in respect of the recording of mode of transport in the external trade statistics of the Community (presented by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (87) 486
Vol. 1987/0243
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                      COM(87 ) 486 final
                                                      Brussels , 22 October 1987
                                Proposal for a
                           COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
   amending Regulation ( EEC ) No 1736 / 75 in respect of the recording of
         mode of transport in the external trade statistics of the
                                   Community
                        (presented by the Commission )
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 ---pagebreak---                            EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. External trade statistics have traditionally been a useful source of
   information for transport statisticians . Their interest in these data
   reflects , inter alia , the fact that they provide highly detailed
   information on the description,        quantity and value of the goods
   concerned and on the countries participating in the transactions . This
   is illustrated, for example , by the development of international air
   freight ( e.g. in the field of electronic products ), which is more
   meaningfully revealed by the value of goods , which is taken into account
   in external trade statistics , than by their weight in tonnes ( the
   traditional unit which is more suitable for the bulk transport of goods
   such as petroleum , cereals and ores ). At the present time ,    moreover ,
   external trade statistics are the least expensive and most       efficient
   means of obtaining data recorded and compiled on a harmonized    basis for
   the various modes of transport used for international trade in   goods .
2. These considerations are also not unconnected with the fact that the
   Statistical Bureau of the United Nations , in the most recent version of
   its " Statistics of International Trade - Concepts and Definitions "
   ( Statistical studies - Series M N° 52 , Rev 1 - 1983 ) recommends the
   compilation and publication of data on imports and exports broken down
   by mode of transport .
3. From the Community standpoint there are special reasons in addition to
   these general considerations . The major part of world trade is seaborne ,
   and the same applies to the external trade of the Community . The
   commercial viability of its merchant fleet is in fact of increasing
   concern to the Community , and in the face of growing competition from
   non-member countries it feels the need to be able to break down the
   flows of its seaborne international trade on the basis of vessel
   registration and trading zones .
4. When it comes to the breakdown of data by type of goods , the precision
   of the external trade statistics is all the more important for economic
   analysis because the traditional sources in the transport sector have
   lost some of their precision as a result of containerization , which now
   accounts for a large proportion of that part of the Community 's external
   trade that is carried by liner services .
5. A number of    Member  States break down    their national external  trade
   statistics on the basis of transport data , but there are sometimes
   fundamental differences in the methods they use . The possibility of
   introducing "mode of transport " and " containerization " data into the
   Community statistics of external trade was provided for by the Council
   as far back as 1975 , and the implementation of this provision has been
   prevented only by technical problems in certain Member States .
 ---pagebreak---                                        2
6. The revival of international interest in breaking down imports and
   exports on the basis of certain transport data , the adoption by the
   Council of an international recommendation on modes of transport
   ( Economic Commission for Europe / UNO and Customs Cooperation Council ) and
   the inclusion in the new Council Regulations on statistics of trade
   between Member States of more precise provisions        regarding transport
   which take account of international developments and will be applicable
   as from 1 January next , have now highlighted the need to amend as soon
   as possible the Community 's requirements in this matter with regard to
   its trade with non-member countries .
7. The threefold aims of the present proposal for a Regulation are
   therefore firstly to update the regulations enacted some twelve years
   ago with regard to data on transport . in external trade statistics ,
   secondly to fall into line with international recommendations in respect
   of both the statistical principle ( breakdown of imports and exports by
   mode of transport ) and the method of implementation ( international
   coding for modes of transport ), and thirdly to harmonize , as from 1
   January 1988 , the methods used for recording the mode of transport and
   related data in the statistics of trade between Member States and those
   used in statistics of the Community 's external trade .
 ---pagebreak---                                     Proposal for a
                             COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
 amending Regulation ( EEC ) No 1736 / 75 in respect of the recording of mode
        of transport in the external trade statistics of the Community
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,      and
in particular Article 235 thereof ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,*^*
Whereas it is necessary to update the provisions concerning the mode of
transport in Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1736/ 75 of 24 June 1975 on the
external trade.statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between the
Member States,       as last amended by Regulation ( EEC ) No 3396/84,^3 )
Whereas Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1900/ 85      introduces Community export and
import declaration forms corresponding to the specimen introduced by Council
Regulation ( EEC )      No 679/85 ;       whereas this specimen provides for the
( 1 ) OJ No C _
( 2 ) OJ No L 183  14.7.1975 ,   p.  3.
( 3) OJ No L 314   4.12.1984 ,   p.  10
( 4 ) OJ No L 179  11.7.1985 ,   p.  4.
( 5 ) OJ No L 79   21 . 3.1985 , p.  7.
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 2 -
recording of data concerning mode of transport to comply with the relevant
measures     provided   for    in  the  present   Regulation ; whereas
Regulations ( EEC ) No 679 / 85 and No 1900 / 85 apply from 1 January 1988 ;
whereas it therefore appears advisable to adopt that date for the extension of
the statistical return on Community external trade to cover mode of transport ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
Article 1
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1736/ 75 is hereby amended as follows :
1.    Article 7 is replaced by the following :
" 2 . The date from which the data referred to in paragraph 1 ( g ) and ( h ) must
      be indicated shall be determined in accordance with Article 41 ."
2.    Article 20 is replaced by the following :
" Article 20
1.      "Mode of transport " shall be taken to mean , on export , the mode of
        transport determined by the active means of transport by which the goods
        are presumed to have left the statistical territory of the Member State
        which records them among its exports and , on import , the mode of
        transport determined by the active means of transport by which they
        enter the statistical territory of the Member State which records them
        among its imports .
2.      For the purposes of this Regulation the modes of transport shall be as
        follows :
         I           I                                         1
         I    Code   I              Description                1
         I           I                                         1
         I           I                                         1
         I    1      I Sea                                     1
         I    2      I Rail                                    1
         I    3      I Road                                    1
         I    4      I Air                                     1
         I    5      I Mai l                                   1
         I    7      1 Fixed transport installations           1
         I    8      1 Inland waterway                         1
         I    9      1 Own propulsion                          1
         I           1                                         1
 ---pagebreak---                                          - 3 -
    3.     If reference is made to one of the modes of transport Listed in
           paragraph 2 , codes 1 , 2, 3, 4 or 8 , it must also be indicated whether
           the goods are transported in containers within the meaning of
           Article 15 ( 3 ).
    4.     If reference is made to one of the modes of transport listed in
           paragraph 2 , codes 1 , 3 , 4 and 8 , the nationality of the active means of
           transport as known on export or on import must also be indicated ."
3 . The following subparagraph is added to Article 22 ( 1 ):
    " From 1 January 1988 the Community and the Member States shall add to these
     data the information " mode of transport " referred to in Article 7 ( 1 ) j )."
    Article 2
    This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 1988 .
    This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in
    all Member States .
    Done at
                                                               For the Council
 ---pagebreak---                         Impact on SNEs and employment
1. Administrative implications of the Legislation for enterprises
   Mention on the import and export declarations of :
   a ) one of the eight agreed modes of transport
   b) the use of containerization ( yes / no )
   c ) the nationality of the means of transport ,    as known at the time of
       import or export .
2. Avantages for the enterprise
   No immediate advantage . For the first time, however, goods flows will be
   broken down throughout the Community on the basis of transport data . The
   improved information thus supplied should benefit international
   transport firms in particular .
3. Disadvantages for the enterprise
   Supplying any item of information involves some cost , but it is
   virtually impossible to evaluate this cost as part of the cost of
   providing the complex and varied body of information required on an
   import or export declaration . Moreover, apart from any Community
   constraints, national regulations in several Member States mean that
   this information on transport is already required . Lastly , the Community
   obligation to declare the data quoted in paragraph 1 had already been
   laid down by the Council ( Regulation ( EEC ) no 2954 - OJ no L 285 of
   25.10.1985 ) and by the Commission ( Regulation ( EEC ) no 2792/86 - OJ no
   L 263 of 15.9.1986) with regard to trade between Member States .
4. Effects on employment
   Nil .
5. Was there any prior consultation of the two sides of industry?
   a . No, since the decision on the principle of collecting the information
       had been taken by the Council in 1975 , with the Commission being
       responsible for fixing the date of implementation . The subject of the
       breakdown of external trade statistics according to certain data on
       transport is being brought before the Council now only in connection
       with updating the 1975 texts .
   b . Only one Member State criticized the proposal on the grounds that it
       increases the workload for the declarant .
       Reply : this workload, which will apply in fact from 1988, was laid
       down by the Council in 1975 and 1985 . As regards intra-Community
       trade , the data on transport which constitute this workload were laid
       down in the specimen single administrative document form by another
       Commission implementing regulation in July 1986, which was approved
       unanimously by the movement of goods committee . Although it may be
       true that the workload of the concern providing the statistical
 ---pagebreak---                                        2
        information on the Community is a Little greater ,  it is not logical
        to accept that in the case of trade between Member States and to
        refuse  to  accept   it  where   trade with non-member   countries  is
        concerned .
6. Is there a less restrictive alternative ?
   No .   The statistics in question are useful only if complete , whether the
   information relates     to trade between Member  States or to their trade
   with non-member countries . In any case , the data on transport will have
   to be declared from 1 January 1983 onwards in all Member States as
   regards intra-Community trade . Most Member States have accepted the
   logic of the situation and stated that it would be more difficult to
   exclude trade with non-member countries from the declaration and the
   processing than to include it .