No________________
WORLD TRADE G/SECRET/HS96/3
1 September 1995
ORGANIZATION
Original: English
1996 CHANGES IN THE HARMONIZED SYSTEM
Submission of Documentation
Schedule LXXX - European Communities
The following communication, dated 3 August 1995, has been r eceived from the Permanent
Delegation of the European Communities.
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Pursuant to the procedures to implement changes in the Harmo nized System, the European
Communities notify you the proposed changes1in the combined nomenclature of the EC which will
enter into effect on 1 January 1996.
Below you will find the proposed revisions of the harmonized tariff schedule of the European
Communities necessary to implement the HS 1996 changes alon g with the concordance tables between
former Schedule LXXX of the European Communities of 12 and th e proposed new headings.
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1. In its communication of 15 December 1994 (L/7614) the Euro pean Community announced
its intention to withdraw all the tariff commitments previo usly made by Austria in Schedule XXXII,
Finland in Schedule XXIV, Sweden in Schedule XXX and the Euro pean Community of 12 in
Schedule LXXX. Following the formal enlargement to a Europe an Community of 15, this withdrawal,
which covers all tariff commitments made in whatsoever time -frame or nomenclature, became effective
from 1 January 1995.
2. As stated pending completion of the Article XXIV procedur es, the tariff commitments in the
previous Schedule LXXX of the European Community of 12 are be ing respected.
3. Annex 1:
The consolidated list of the bound duties of the former Europ ean Community of 12 comprises
previous Schedule LXXX attached to the Marrakech Protocol w ith the addition of the tariff quotas
1English only.
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listed in the attachment to this document which had already b een bound at lower rates. This consolidated
list is the basis on which the transpositions into the HS 1996 nomenclature have been made.
4. Annex II:
The Schedule of the Community of 15 will take into account the outcome of the ongoing XXIV:6
negotiations. It will be based on HS 1996 nomenclature. For t he convenience of WTO members in
the context of the notification requirements on HS 1996 tran spositions, Annex IIcontains a draft version
ofthe proposed nomenclaturein the 1996 CN tariff forall 4-d igit headings affected by HS 1996 changes.
The document also shows the related headings in the Marrakec h Schedule of the forme EC 12 together
with the UR base rate and final rate.
5. Annex III and Annex IV:
Concordance tables between the consolidated list mentione d in Annex 1 and the headings in
the proposed 1996 CN tariff (Annex II) affected by HS 1996 hav e been prepared.
6. Annex V:
This document lists all cases contained in Annex II wherea 19 96 heading involves transpositions
from two or more previous headings with different rates of du ty. In such cases as the document shows
the lowest rate of duty will normally be applied. The only exc eptions are cases where any likely trade
under the lower rate is theoretical or negligible.
7. WTO members wishing to have consultations concerning the transpositions indicated in Annex II
are invited to notify the Permanent Delegation of the Europe an Community in writing with a copy
to the WTO Secretariat, within 90 days indicating the produc ts and tariff heading numbers concerned.
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If no objection is notified to the Secretariat within ninety days from the date of this document,
the changes to Schedule LXXX - European Communities will be d eemed to be approved and will be
formally certified.