30.5.2013 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 143/11
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 496/2013
of 29 May 2013
amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in particular Article 207 thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 of 22 July 2008 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences from 1 January 2009 and amending Regulations (EC) No 552/97, (EC) No 1933/2006 and Commission Regulations (EC) No 1100/2006 and (EC) No 964/2007 (1) (GSP Regulation), and in particular Article 25 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Recital 12 of Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 provides that the special arrangement for the least-developed countries should continue to grant duty-free access to the Community market for products originating in the least-developed countries, as recognised and classified by the UN.
(2) In accordance with point (b) of Article 25 of the GSP Regulation the Commission shall adopt amendments made necessary by change in the international status or classification of countries or territories.
(3) The Republic of South Sudan (hereinafter South Soudan) has become an independent State. On 14 July 2011 the General Assembly of United Nations adopted Resolution A/RES/65/308 admitting South Sudan to membership in the United Nations.
(4) On 18 December 2012 the General Assembly of United Nations adopted Resolution A/RES/67/136 adding South Sudan to the list of Least Developed Countries.
(5) The Netherlands Antilles have been dissolved. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Dutch part) are now overseas countries and territories of the Kingdom of Netherlands.
(6) Commission Regulation (EU) No 1106/2012 of 27 November 2012 implementing Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics relating to external trade with non-member countries, as regards the update of the nomenclature of countries and territories (2) deleted Netherlands Antilles from and included Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten (Dutch part) and South Sudan in the version of nomenclature of countries and territories for the external trade statistics of the Union and statistics of trade between Member States which is valid as from 1 January 2013.
(7) Accordingly Annex I to the GSP Regulation should be amended as follows. Netherlands Antilles should be deleted from Column B of Annex I to the GSP Regulation. South Sudan, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Dutch part) should be included in Column B of Annex I to the GSP Regulation. South Sudan should be also included in Column D of Annex I to the GSP Regulation, as country included in the special arrangement for the least developed countries.
(8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Generalised Preferences Committee,
Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Regulation.
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 1 January 2013.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.