CELEX: 51974PC0537
Language: en
Date: 1974-04-24
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A REGULATION OF THE COUNCIL to extend the list of products falling within Chapters 1 to 24 of the Common Customs Tariff, in respect of which the scheme of generalized preferences in favour of developing countries is applicable under Regulation (EEC) No 3506/73 of the Council of 18 December 1973 (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (74) 537
Vol. 1974/0090
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 ---pagebreak---                                           M
COMMISSION OF THE EURQEEAN COMMUMTIE5
                                         COM(74 ) 537 Final
                                         Strasbourg. 24 April 1974
                               PROPOSAL FOR A
                          REGULATION OF THE COUNCIL
      to extend the list of products falling within Chapters 1 to 24
      of the Common Customs Tariff, in respect of which the scheme of
        generalized preferences in favour of developing countries is
      applicable under Regulation (EEC) HO 3506/73 of the Council of
                              18 December 1973
                (submitted to the Council by the Commission )
    C0M(74 ) 537 Final
 ---pagebreak---                            EXPLANATORY              MiâMOEANDU U
            At the Council session of 3 and 4 December 1973 « it was agreed., with
regard to generalized tariff preferences , that the Commission should examine the
requests put forward by the Danish , Dutch and British delegations and place its
conclusions in good time before the Council .
            Having completed this examination, the Commission has reached conclusion:
which have led to its now presenting to the Council a proposal to extend the list
of products falling within Chapters 1 to 24 of the CCT subject to the Generalized
Preferences Scheme of the Community.
1 . Examination of the Danish , Dutch and British requests
             Close examination of the requests put forward by Denmark , the Hetherland
and the U^itod Kingdom resulted in the following facts coming to light .
-A number of products included in the lists presented by these three Member States
   are already imported duty-free vndor the CCT .
- 36 tariff items are alroaclyyccverod by the Generalized Preferences Scheme for 19''
- A number pf items in the three lists are in fact primary commodities which, in
   principle , according to Resolution 21 ( ll ) of UUCTAD , should not be included-
                                                                                   unde
   the GGP , Furthermore , for many of these products , the African , Caribbean and
   Pacific States are among the principal suppliers of tho Community.
- Hotvrithstanding the above , inclusion under GSP of a number of other products does
   appear feasible .
2 » Ths Connues ion 1 s conclusions
             The Commission recalls , first of all , that the GSP exercise at world
level should be based in particular - as was agreed in IINCTAD and UNO - on the
principle of burden-sharing between donor countries . For this reason, it 3eems
 difficult for the Community to introduce yet further improvements into its scheme ,
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                     2.~
going "beyond its .UJTCTAD ccrjimitments in particular , so long as the other major     ,
economic powers have not made a comparable effort or even , in some cases , have
not implemented general preferences at all .                                            «
               Nevertheless , the Commission in well aware of the serious difficulties
with which a number of developing countries have to contend as a result of the
crisis and the uncertainties currently affecting international economic relations .
For such countx'iec , generalized preferences are one of the ways which could , in
time , improve their economic situation.
               Accordingly, the Commission is of the opinion that , over and aljovo
the important improvements introduced into its scheme for 1974 » "the Community
should agree to make yet a further effort to extend its offer on processed agri­
cultural goods by including a few new items .
               The Commission is fully conscious of the limited scope of these
additions * It would call to mind , however , that other poscibilites for improving
the GSP offer in the agricultural sector at a later stage aro contemplated , notab.j
 in ths- -Community 's "over-all conception" (agreed general guidelines ) for the GAT?
multilateral negotiations .                        '
3 « The Commission' s pro-oosals
                On the basis of its examination of the Danish, Dutch and British recu.e ^
 and of tho conclusions it has • drawn therefrom , the Commission proposes to the
Council to include under its scheme of generalized preferences for 1?74 » beginninf, j
tember 1974 . 18 new items falling under Chapters 1 to 24 of the CCT.
               To that end, the appended draft Regulation is submitted to the Council
 for approval .
               The coverage of this proposal would amount to 28.7 mill . U.A. for iSEC
 imports from GSP beneficiaries ( 1971 values ), a3 against a total of 70-7 mill. U.A ,
 for extra-C33 imports . For these same products , imports into the E3C from Asso­
 ciated States are either insignificant or even inexistant .
                                            O
                                        O       0
 ---pagebreak---                 The Commission draws attention to the reference nade in the proposed
  Regulation to Article 43 of the Treaty of Rome , and to the consequent need to seek.,
  the opinion of the European Parliament in good time .
                The Commission farther emphasizes that , since this is a measure of
commercial policy in an area of particular interest to the Associated States ,
and especially tha AASM, it will have to "be submitted , at the appropriate moment ,
• to- -the information and/or {consultation procedures provided for under the opera­
tive agreements .
 ---pagebreak---                                                 H \ OF TH3 COU1TCIL
           to extend the list of products falling within Chapters 1 to 24 of
           the Common Customs Tariff, in rc.-<?i:-^ct of whic?i J: hu .: uLo..io .■/
           g3neralizec. preferences in favour of developing coturfcrias is
           applicable undo r ?Le.gulation (EEC ) iitf 0 350o/73 of the Council of 1 <*
                                      18 December 1973 »
THE! COUIJCIL OP TEJ EUROPEAN COMOTITES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community , and
in particular Articles 43 and 113 thereof ;
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) N° 1059/69                  28 May 1969 laying down
the tiade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing
of agricultural products ( l ), and in particular Article 12 thereof;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ;
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament ;
Whereas , by Regulation (EEC ) IT0 3506/73 of 18 December 1973 (2 ) the Council has
established for certain products falling within Chapters 1 to 24 of the Common
Customs Tariff a schemo of generalised preferences in favour of developing
countries ;
Wereas , in order to improve the aforesaid scheme , it is expedient to include in
Annex A of the above-mentioned Regulation (EEC ) IT0 3506/73 certain agricultural
products falling within Chapters 2 , 3 » 4 » 5 »           8 f 9 » 15 » 21 and 24 of the Common
Customs Tnriff,
aiS ADOPTZD THIS HSGULATIGS :
                                         .article 1
Prom 1 Sept to 31 December 1974 there shr.ll be added to the list of products set
out in Annex A of Regulation (EEC ) IT0 3506/73             "the Council of 18 December 1973
the following products :
( 1 ) 0J 11° L 141 , 12 June I969 , p. 1
( 2 ) OJ N° L 358, 28 December 1973 , p. 94
 ---pagebreak---                                                         - 2 -
CCT ILsacung                                         Pascrx^rtion
                                                                                                         CCT rate   Proposed
   number                                                                                                 of duty    rate
  02.04         Other meat and edible meat offals , fresh, chilled or frozen :
               a , Of domestic pigeons and domestic rabbits                                                 13 %       8%
                                                                                                       i
                C. Other :
                    II . other                                                                              14 i       8% ■
  03.03         Crustaceans and molluscs , Tfhether in shell or not , fresh ( live or dead), chilled,
                frozen, salted , in brine or dried; crustaceans , ,in shell , simply boiled in water :
               A. Crustaceans :
                    IV . Slirimps anu prawus :                                                                    I
                          c) other                                                                         .18 i  \    8 %
  04.07        ILdibie products of animal origin , not elsewhere specified or included                      12 %       7 %
  05^13        7T?.tvr.".l s~>0'ig3e! :
               B. other                                                                                      8 %      Pree
             1
t
\
 ---pagebreak---   CCT Headmg                                                                                                 CCT rate  Proposed
                                                           De s on pt ion
    number                                                                                                    of dut y   rate
                    Dates , bananas , coconuts , Brazil nivtn , cashes nuts ,          avocados , mangoes ,
                    (<mavas and mango steons , fresh or dried, shelled or noi;
                    ex il . Dates  :
                            - in immediate packings of a net capacity not exceeding 35 kg and intended
                              for putting up for sals by retail ( a)                                   -        12 %      Freo
                   Citrus fruit , fresh or dned :
                   A. Oranges :
                        II . Other :                                       .
                             ex a) from 1 April to 15 October :
                                     - Bitter or Seville oranges                                                15 %      8 %
                             ex b ) from 16 October to 31 March :
                                     - Bitter or Seville oranges                                                20 %      8 '>
                   Fruit , dried , other than that falling within heading 3So 08.01 , 03.02 , 08.03 , 08. 04
                   or 08.05 :
                   ii . Apricots                                                                                 7 c/'
                    Cinnamon and cinnamon-tree flowers :
                   A. Grcund                                                                                    13 %     10 !o
                   Nutmeg, mace and car&amons :
                   B. Crushed or ground :
                        I.   Nutmeg                                                                             12 c/o   10 c/o
                        II . Mace                                                                                8 %      5 >
( a) Entry under this sub-hoading i3 subject to conditions to bo determined by the competent authorities .
 ---pagebreak---                                                               - 4 -
  CCT Hei.u.j.ng                                                                                                  CCT rate   Proposed
                                                           Description                                           of duty       rate
     number
     09.0°             Seeds of anise , badian, fennel , coriander , cumin, caraway and juniper :
                       A. Neither crushed nor ground :
                          II . Badian seed                                                                          23 %       U%
                     | B. Crushed or grour.d î
                          I.   Badian seed                                                                   I      26 %       16 %   '
     15.07             Fixed vegetable oils , fluid or solid , crude , refined or purified :
                       C. Castor oil :                                                                       j
                          II . other                                                                                 8 %        7 %
     21.05             Soups and broths , in liquid , solid or powder form ; homogenised composite fooc
                       préparations :
                       B. Homogonised composite food préparations                                                   24 ï°      13 %
     24.02             Manufactured tobacco : tobacco extracts and essences :
I                                                                                                                   52 Je      42 %
I                      B. Cigars
                       C. Smoking tobacco                                                                      I   117 f"  I   94 1°
                                                                                                               ι
                                                              Article 2
                                  This Regulation shall enter into xorce on 1 September 1974 .
                                  This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety ard directly                     Tec^,
                                  applicable in all Memoer States ,
                 Done at Brussels ,               1974 »                                    For the Council
                                                                                               The Président
 ---pagebreak---                                                         ANÎ-JET
Financial implications
The loss in customs revenues resulting from extending the list of
products in Chapters 1-24 for the generalized preferences scheme
cannot be calculated exactly . However , it will be relatively low
because the volume of trade covered by the products which it is
proposed to add is a limited amount ( approximately 28 million
units of account of imports into the Community in 1971 ) and because
of the general moderate level of preferential tariff reductions
anticipated for these products   ( 10 points on average ).