31976R1663

No L 185/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 9 . 7 . 76

COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC) No 1663 / 76 of 8 July 1976 on the opening of tariff preferences in the form of a partial suspension of customs duties for jute manufactures originating in India, Thailand and Bangla­ desh and for coir manufactures originating in India and Sri Lanka

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 1975 for the first half of the 1976 preference year ; COMMUNITIES , whereas, since the situation in Bangladesh as regards jute products is substantially the same as that Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European described above, the same arrangements have also Economic Community, been adopted for that country ; Having regard to the proposal from the Commission , Whereas the negotiations with India on coir products Whereas, within the context of UNCTAD , the Euro­ have recently been completed and provide for a reduc­ tion of 80 % in the Common Customs Tariff duties pean Economic Community offered to grant tariff from 1 July 1976 ; whereas that reduction should be preferences on finished and semi-finished products applied on the above date in the context of the gener­ coming from developing countries ; whereas the pref­ alized preferences scheme ; whereas progress in the erential treatment proposed in that offer covers, gener­ new negotiations with India and Bangladesh on jute ally speaking, all finished and semi-finished industrial products suggests that at the present time the preferen­ products in Chapters 25 to 99 of the Brussels Nomen­ tial tariff arrangements adopted for the first half of clature which originate in developing countries ; 1976 should only be renewed until the end of that Whereas the offer made by the Community includes a year ; whereas, in view of the special arrangements clause stating that the Community drew up the offer between the Community and Sri Lanka for coir manu­ on the assumption that all the main industrialized factures and between the Community and Thailand countries which are members of the OECD ' would for jute manufactures , the decision may also be taken participate in granting preferences and would make to adopt or renew the existing preferential tariff arran­ similar efforts in this direction ; whereas, moreover, it gements for those two countries ; is evident from the conclusions worked out in Whereas , in accordance with Protocol 23 to the Act of UNCTAD that this offer, while being of a temporary Accession (3 ), the generalized preferences scheme nature, does not constitute a binding commitment became fully applicable in the new Member States on and, in particular, may be withdrawn wholly or in part 1 January 1974 ; at a later date ; whereas this facility may be retained , among other reasons, in order to remedy any unfavou­ Whereas the benefit of these suspensions should be rable situations which might arise in the ACP States restricted to the said products originating in India, following the implementation of the generalized pref­ Bangladesh , Thailand and Sri Lanka, the concept of erences scheme ; 'originating products' being determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14 of Council Whereas, however, as regards jute and coir products, Regulation ( EEC) No 802/68 of 27 June 1968 on the the said offer includes the elimination of customs common definition of the concept of the origin of duties only where special arrangements have been goods (4 ), made with the exporting developing countries ;

Whereas the Agreements concluded between the HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : Community and India on jute ( 1 ) and coir (2 ) manufac­ tures expired on 31 December 1975 ; whereas, Article 1 pending the conclusion of a new agreement with India specifying the conditions for the implementa­ 1 . From 1 July until 31 December 1976 the tion of the abovementioned special arrangements, the Common Customs Tariff on products listed here­ Community has decided that it is appropriate to inafter shall be suspended at the following preferential rates : renew the preferential tariff arrangements in force in

(') OJ No L 82, 27 . 3 . 1974 , p . 11 . ( 3 ) OJ No L 73 , 27 . 3 . 1972, p. 14 . (-') OJ No L 82 , 27 . 3 . 1974 , p . 17 . (4 ) OJ No L 148 , 28 . 6 . 1968 , p. 1 .

9 . 7 . 76 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 185/21

CCT Preferential rates heading Description No of duty %

57.06 3.2 Yarn of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading No 57.03

57.10 Woven fabrics of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading No 57.03 : A. Of a width of not more than 150 cm and weighing per m 2 : I. Less than 310 g 8 II . Not less than 310 g but not more than 500 g 7-6 III . More than 500 g 6 B. Of a width of more than 150 cm 11 58.02 Other carpets, carpeting, rugs, mats and matting and ' Kelem ', 'Schumacks' and ' Karamanie' rugs and the like (made up or not) : A. Carpets, carpeting, rugs, mats and matting : ex I. Coir mats and coir matting and tufted carpets of coir 4.6 Tufted carpets of other textile bast fibres of heading No 57.03 9.2 ex II . Carpets, carpeting, rugs, mats and matting, of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading No 57.03 0 ex 59.04 Twine , cordage, ropes and cables, plaited or not, of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading No 57.03 0 62.03 Sacks and bags, of a kind used for the packing of goods : A. of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading No 57.03 : II . Other : (a ) Of fabric weighing less than 310 g/m 2 8 (b) Of fabric weighing not less than 310 g/ m 2 but not more than 500 g/ m 2 7.6 (c) Of fabric weighing more than 500 g/ m 2 6

2. On importation of the said goods into Denmark purposes of this Regulation , the concept of 'origi­ and the United Kingdom , the duties to be applied nating products' shall be determined in accordance shall be those of their customs tariffs suspended at the with the procedure laid down in Article 14 of Regula­ level applied in 1973 . For textile products falling tion ( EEC) No 802/68 . within heading Nos 57.06 and 57.10 , and subheading 62.03 A II , referred to in paragraph 1 , Ireland shall align its national customs tariff duties on the above­ Article 2 mentioned preferential rates on the dates and according to the timetable fixed in Article 39 ( 1 ) and (2) of the Act of Accession . 1 . The Commission , in close collaboration with the Member States, shall take all necessary measures to ensure that the foregoing provisions are applied .

2. The Member States shall regularly inform the Commission of imports benefiting under the preceding provisions . 3 . The benefit of the suspensions referred to in paragraph 1 shall be afforded until 31 December 1976 to products originating in India . Products originating Article 3 in Bangladesh and Thailand , with the exception of coir mats and matting and tufted carpets of coir, shall also benefit from these suspensions . Coir mats and This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its matting and tufted carpets of coir originating in Sri publication in the Official Journal of the European Lanka shall also benefit from the suspensions . For the Communities and shall apply from 1 July 1976 .

No L 185/ 22 Official Journal of the European Communities 9 . 7 . 76

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States .

Done at Brussels, 8 July 1976. For the Council

The President

M. van der STOEL