Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/85 of 25 July 1985 applying supplementary generalized tariff preferences in respect of certain products originating in developing countries and sold at the Berlin 'Partners in Progress' Fair

COUNCIL  REGULATION (EEC) No 2158/85
of 25 July 1985
applying supplementary generalized tariff preferences in respect of certain products originating in developing countries and sold at the Berlin 'Partners in Progress' Fair
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas the overseas imports fair 'Partners in Progress' is organized every year in Berlin with a view to improving the access to world markets of products originating in developing countries;
Whereas the Community has already recognized the importance of this Fair by granting, most recently under Commission Regulation (EEC) No 661/85 (1), supplementary quotas for textile products;
Whereas, in view of the specific features of the Berlin Fair and of the unique situation of Berlin, certain measures should be taken in the field of generalized preferences;
Whereas, in accordance with its offer made within the context of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Community opened, in particular, generalized tariff preferences commencing in 1971 and most recently under Council Regulations (EEC) No 3562/84 (2) and (EEC) No 3563/84 (3) in respect of finished and semi-finished industrial products and textile products originating in developing countries;
Whereas, in the past, certain products covered by the system of quotas, ceilings or by other tariff measures and sold through contracts concluded at the Berlin Fair could not benefit from the preferences, the allocated textile quotas or ceilings having been used up or the collection of customs duties having been resumed before the Fair's opening date; whereas extra latitude ought therefore to be extended to developing countries to enable them to benefit from the generalized tariff preferences for products sold through contracts concluded at the fair in question; whereas, however, this extra latitude should be limited to 3 % of the levels of the tariff measures applicable to each product or group of products under the abovementioned Regulations and should take the form of tariff quotas to be administered by the Commission;
Whereas, without prejudice to the specific provisions of this Regulation, those provisions of the annual Regulations applying generalized tariff preferences in respect in particular of beneficiary countries, the concept of originating products and the exchange of statistical data should be applied to the tariff quotas in question;
Whereas it is appropriate, however, to exclude from the scope of this Regulation certain products originating in particular beneficiary countries;
Whereas declarations of release into free circulation submitted with a view to the importation of the products in question should be accompanied by the certificate of origin and by the contract concluded at the Berlin Fair, the latter certified by the competent German authorities;
Whereas the German authorities must ensure that certifications of contracts concluded at the Berlin Fair do not exceed the permitted supplementary quantities;
Whereas the method of administration adopted requires close and particularly rapid cooperation between the Member States and the Commission,