RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/HRV/25
29July1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3011)
Original: English
ACCESSION OFCROATIA
Communication from Croatia
Thefollowing information onimport licensing procedures hasbeenreceived fromtheMinistry
ofEconomic Affairs oftheRepublic ofCroatia.
_______________
ANNEX 3:INFORMATION ONIMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
I
Inaccordance withLawonTrade, inorder toimplement international agreements, ensure state
security, protect thelivesandhealth ofthepopulation, animals andvegetation, protect theenvironment
andexecute control ofexport andimport ofworks ofartandcertain precious metals, thetrade with
certain goods issubject tolicensing.
TheGovernment oftheRepublic ofCroatia isentitled tostipulate thegoods underlying the
licensing procedure.
II
Import licenses issued bytheMinistry ofEconomy arecompulsory forthefollowing products:
radioactive materials, isotopes, derivatives, hydrocarbons, postal stamps, gold, coins, irontubes and
bars,nuclearreactors,combineharvestersforgrainandcorn,enginepowerabove45to167kW,tractors
older than5years, tanks, warvessels, military arms, revolvers, pistols, guns, parts andequipment
forarms, ammunition, swords andsabres.
TheMinistry ofEconomy issues import licenses forsubstances affecting theozone layer
(Montreal Convention).
Import licenses, issued bytheMinistry ofHealth, apply tothefollowing drugs andmedical
products: glands andother organs, vaccines, drugs, pharmaceutical goods, dialysis appliances, aswell
asnarcotics.
TheMinistry ofAgriculture andForestry isincharge ofissuing import licenses forveterinary
drugs andvaccines.
Thefollowing scales andmeasuring instruments aresubject toimport licenses issued bythe
StateOffice forStandardization andMeteorology: cooper 'sware, glassproducts forlaboratory, hygiene
orpharmaceuticalpurposes,suctionpumpsforliquids,fillingandbottlingappliances,scales,instruments
andappliances forphotogrammetry, instruments foroilandgasexploration, range-finders, theodolites
andspeedometers, levels, micrometry scales, syringes, thermometers andpyrometers, instruments
andappliances formeasuring orcontrol offlow, pressure orgas,instruments andappliances forphysicalWT/ACC/HRV/25
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orchemicalanalysis,measurementinstrumentsforconsumptionorproductionofgas,liquidorelectricity,
rotation counters, production counters, taximeters, kilometre counters, instruments andappliances for
themeasurement orlocation ofradiation, stop-watches, appliances formeasurement andcontrol of
time/weather, time/weather switches.
TheMinistry ofMaritime Affairs, Transport andTelecommunications issues theimport licenses
fortelecommunications instruments andappliances suchastransmitters, raiders, appliances forradio
navigation andradio remote controls.
Thelicense regime applies tothetotalimport ofthestated goods, andimport regardless of
thecountry oforigin andtheimport country.
Thelicense regime aimsatcontrolling, supervising andmonitoring thetraffic ofcertain, for
various reasons, sensitive goods. There is,therefore, nointention tolimitthequantity orvalue of
imports, except forcases stated ininternational conventions, especially theMontreal andtheBasel
Conventions.
Taking intoaccount thatCroatia isayoung country without longtermexperience inmonitoring
thetraffic ofthestated sensitive goods, noalternative methods ofsupervision andmonitoring ofimport
ofthose goods havebeenexamined asofyet.
According toArticle 45oftheLawonTrade, theGovernment oftheRepublic ofCroatia passed
aDecision ongoods subject toimport andexport licenses onJuly12,1996. ThetextoftheDecision
willbeforwarded totheWTO Secretariat assoonastheEnglish translation isfinished.
III
TheDecision liststhegoods, according totheHS-system, itembyitem, onwhich thelicense
regime isimposed, aswellastherelevant bodies fortheissue oflicenses.
According totheCroatian legalsystem, itisnotpossible toabolish thelicensing system without
legislative approval.
TheDecision ongoods subject toimport andexport licenses stipulates thedatarequired in
theapplication foranimport license (Annex 1).
Thelicenses donotimpose restrictions withregard toquantity andvalue ofimports.
Since thelicenses donotlimitquantity andvalue ofimports, theimporter isallowed tosubmit
theapplication foranimport license attheverymoment theyconclude deals orimmediately before
importation.Generally,theimportershouldhaveanimportlicenseatthemomentofcrossingthecustoms
line.
Licenses fortheimport ofprecious metals andcoins canbegranted immediately uponrequest.
There arenolimitations astotheperiod oftheyearduring which applications forlicense or
importation maybemade.
Applications forimport licenses aresubmitted toastatebody.
Importers arenotobliged tosubmit theirapplications tomore thanoneadministrative body.WT/ACC/HRV/25
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Anapplicant isdenied theimport license ifhedoesnotmeet thestandard criteria forthe
transportation ofcertain goods ortheconditions stipulated ininternational conventions forspecific
goods subject tolicensing.
There arenofurther reasons fordenial ofimport licenses. Ifanapplicant isdenied theimport
licensebyanadministrativebody,heisentitledtomakeanadministrativelawsuitwiththeAdministrative
Court oftheRepublic ofCroatia.
IVEligibility ofimports toapply forlicense
Generally,allcompaniesincorporatedfortradeactivitiesorcertainactivitiesusinggoodssubject
tolicensing areentitled tosubmit anapplication foranimport license. Forimports ofarms, however,
theapplicant must begranted thelicense bytheMinistry ofInternal Affairs inorder tosellarms.
Licenses fortheimport ofarmament items andmilitary equipment forpurposes oftheCroatian Army
andPolice areissued bytheMinistry ofDefense, theMinistry ofInternal Affairs respectively.
There arenolistsofauthorized importers forimportation ofgoods subject tothelicense regime.
VDocumentation andother requirements forapplication forlicense
Inaccordance withtheDecision stated above, theapplication forlicense must provide the
following information: name andheadoffice ofthetrade company, name andaddress ofthenatural
person respectively; identification number, trade name, quantity, value ofgoods, tariff number and
tariff designation, unitprice, country oforigin andtermofimport.
Beside theinformation stated, theapplicant hastosubmit other documents, suchasprimarily
hisregistration attheCommercial Court, especially ifheactsasanapplicant forthefirsttime.
Documentation doesnotneed tobesubmitted afterimportation. Anadministrative feeof
125.00 Knischarged fortheissue oftheimport license.
VIIConditions oflicensing
Licenses aregranted upon request forthetermstated intheapplication. Ifthelicense isnot
usedwithin theenvisaged term, itcanbeextended upon request ofthelicense holder.
There isnopenalty forthenon-utilization ofalicense oraportion ofalicense.
Licenses arenottransferable between importers.
There arenoother conditions attached totheissue ofalicense.
VIII. Other procedural requirements
There arenoother administrative procedures required prior toimportation.
Theissueofimport licenses isnotconnected totheprocurement ofhardcurrency fortheimport
ofgoods under thelicense system. Domestic legalentities areentitled toholdforeign currency accounts
inbanks, according toregulations onforeign currency transactions, andpayfromthese accounts for
goods andservices abroad. Iftheydonotdispose ofhardcurrency forthepurchase ofgoods abroad,
they(their banks) canbuyontheforeign currency market foreign currency forthepurchase ofgoods
abroad, orexchange goods without money (barter) orpayforthegoods inlocalcurrency iftheseller
agrees.WT/ACC/HRV/25
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ANNEX TOTHE TEXT
MINISTRY OFTHE ECONOMY
LICENCE APPLICATION
forimport ofgoods
1. COMPANY NAME,
ADDRESS OFTHE COMPANY
(NAME AND ADDRESS OF
NATURAL PERSON)
2. IDNUMBER
3. DESCRIPTION OFGOODS
4. QUANTITY AND UNIT
5. UNIT PRICE
FCO CROATIAN BORDER
6. TOTAL VALUE OF
THE GOODS FCO CRO BORDER
7. TARIFF ITEM
8. COUNTRY OFORIGIN
9. COUNTRY OFIMPORT
10. REQUESTED DURATION
OFLICENCE VALIDITY
SIGNATURE OFTHE STATUTORY REPRESENTATIVE
COMPANY SEAL