Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1421/2013

of 30 October 2013

amending Annexes I, II and IV to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 732/20081, and in particular Articles 3(2), 5(3) and 17(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 provides that a list of eligible countries should be amended to take account of changes in the international status or classification of countries. The list of eligible countries is established in Annex I to that Regulation.

(2)

Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 establishes criteria for the granting of tariff preferences under the general arrangement of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). In accordance with such criteria, a country that has been classified by the World Bank as a high or an upper-middle income country for three consecutive years should not benefit from such preferences. The list of beneficiary countries of the general arrangement of the GSP is established in Annex II to that Regulation.

(3)

Article 17(1) of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 provides that a country that is identified by the UN as a least-developed country should benefit from the tariff preferences under the special arrangement for the least-developed countries (EBA). The list of EBA beneficiary countries is established in Annex IV to that Regulation.

(4)

The Republic of Croatia (hereinafter Croatia) became a member of the European Union as of 1 July 2013. Therefore, Croatiashould be removed from Annex I.

(5)

The Republic of South Sudan (hereinafter South Sudan) 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. 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. Therefore, South Sudan should be included in Annexes I, II and IV.

(6)
Regulation (EU) No 607/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 552/97 temporarily withdrawing access to generalised tariff preferences from Myanmar/Burma2 repealed the temporary withdrawal of Myanmar/Burma’s access to the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) tariff preferences. Therefore, Myanmar/Burma should be removed from the table in Annex I, which lists the ‘Eligible countries of the scheme referred to in Article 3 which have been temporarily withdrawn from the scheme, in respect of all or of certain products originating in these countries’, from the table in Annex II which lists the ‘Beneficiary countries of the general arrangement referred to in point (a) of Article 1(2) which have been temporarily withdrawn from that arrangement, in respect of all or of certain products originating in these countries’ and from the table in Annex IV, which lists the ‘Beneficiary countries of the special arrangement for the least-developed countries referred to in point (c) of Article 1(2) which have been temporarily withdrawn from that arrangement, in respect of all or of certain products originating in these countries’.
(7)

The People’s Republic of China (hereinafter China), the Republic of Ecuador (hereinafter Ecuador), the Republic of Maldives (hereinafter the Maldives) and the Kingdom of Thailand (hereinafter Thailand) have been classified by the World Bank as upper-middle income countries in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Accordingly, China, Ecuador, the Maldives and Thailandshould be removed from Annex II as from one year after the date of entry into force of this Regulation.

(8)
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1127/20103 establishes a three-year transitional period for withdrawing the Maldives from the special arrangement for the least-developed countries (Everything But Arms (EBA)) and provides for the removal of the Maldivesfrom the list of EBA beneficiary countries as of 1 January 2014. Therefore, the Maldivesshould be removed from Annex IV.
(9)

Article 5(2) of the GSP Regulation provides a GSP beneficiary country and economic operators with time for orderly adaptation to the change in the country’s status under the scheme. This period should be indicated for each GSP beneficiary country concerned in the respective Annex to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 is amended as follows:

  1. (1)

    Annex I is replaced by the text set out in Annex I to this Regulation;

  2. (2)

    Annex II is replaced by the text set out in Annex II to this Regulation;

  3. (3)

    Annex IV is replaced by the text set out in Annex III to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2014.

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

Done at Brussels, 30 October 2013.

For the Commission

The President

José Manuel Barroso

ANNEX I

‘ANNEX I

Eligible countries4of the scheme referred to in Article 3

  • Column A

    alphabetical code, in accordance with the nomenclature of countries and territories for the Union external trade statistics

  • Column B

    name

A

B

AE

United Arab Emirates

AF

Afghanistan

AG

Antigua and Barbuda

AL

Albania

AM

Armenia

AO

Angola

AR

Argentina

AZ

Azerbaijan

BA

Bosnia and Herzegovina

BB

Barbados

BD

Bangladesh

BF

Burkina Faso

BH

Bahrain

BI

Burundi

BJ

Benin

BN

Brunei Darussalam

BO

Bolivia

BR

Brazil

BS

Bahamas

BT

Bhutan

BW

Botswana

BY

Belarus

BZ

Belize

CD

Congo, Democratic Republic of

CF

Central African Republic

CG

Congo

CI

Côte d'Ivoire

CK

Cook Islands

CL

Chile

CM

Cameroon

CN

China, People's Republic of

CO

Colombia

CR

Costa Rica

CU

Cuba

CV

Cape Verde

DJ

Djibouti

DM

Dominica

DO

Dominican Republic

DZ

Algeria

EC

Ecuador

EG

Egypt

ER

Eritrea

ET

Ethiopia

FJ

Fiji

FM

Micronesia, Federated States of

GA

Gabon

GD

Grenada

GE

Georgia

GH

Ghana

GM

Gambia

GN

Guinea

GQ

Equatorial Guinea

GT

Guatemala

GW

Guinea-Bissau

GY

Guyana

HK

Hong Kong

HN

Honduras

HT

Haiti

ID

Indonesia

IN

India

IQ

Iraq

IR

Iran

JM

Jamaica

JO

Jordan

KE

Kenya

KG

Kyrgyz Republic

KH

Cambodia

KI

Kiribati

KM

Comoros

KN

St Kitts and Nevis

KW

Kuwait

KZ

Kazakhstan

LA

Lao People's Democratic Republic

LB

Lebanon

LC

St Lucia

LK

Sri Lanka

LR

Liberia

LS

Lesotho

LY

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

MA

Morocco

MD

Moldova, Republic of

ME

Montenegro

MG

Madagascar

MH

Marshall Islands

MK

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

ML

Mali

MM

Myanmar/Burma

MN

Mongolia

MO

Macao

MR

Mauritania

MU

Mauritius

MV

Maldives

MW

Malawi

MX

Mexico

MY

Malaysia

MZ

Mozambique

NA

Namibia

NE

Niger

NG

Nigeria

NI

Nicaragua

NP

Nepal

NR

Nauru

NU

Niue

OM

Oman

PA

Panama

PE

Peru

PG

Papua New Guinea

PH

Philippines

PK

Pakistan

PW

Palau

PY

Paraguay

QA

Qatar

RU

Russian Federation

RW

Rwanda

SA

Saudi Arabia

SB

Solomon Islands

SC

Seychelles

SD

Sudan

SL

Sierra Leone

SN

Senegal

SO

Somalia

SR

Suriname

SS

South Sudan

ST

São Tomé and Príncipe

SV

El Salvador

SY

Syrian Arab Republic

SZ

Swaziland

TD

Chad

TG

Togo

TH

Thailand

TJ

Tajikistan

TL

Timor-Leste

TM

Turkmenistan

TN

Tunisia

TO

Tonga

TT

Trinidad and Tobago

TV

Tuvalu

TZ

Tanzania

UA

Ukraine

UG

Uganda

UY

Uruguay

UZ

Uzbekistan

VC

St Vincent and the Grenadines

VE

Venezuela

VN

Vietnam

VU

Vanuatu

WS

Samoa

XK

Kosovo5

XS

Serbia

YE

Yemen

ZA

South Africa

ZM

Zambia

ZW

Zimbabwe

5

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo's declaration of independence.

Eligible countries of the scheme referred to in Article 3 which have been temporarily withdrawn from the scheme, in respect of all or of certain products originating in these countries

  • Column A

    alphabetical code, in accordance with the nomenclature of countries and territories for the Union external trade statistics

  • Column B

    name

A

B

BY

Belarus’

ANNEX II

‘ANNEX II

Beneficiary countries6of the general arrangement referred to in point (a) of Article 1(2)

  • Column A

    alphabetical code, in accordance with the nomenclature of countries and territories for the Union external trade statistics

  • Column B

    name

A

B

AF

Afghanistan

AM

Armenia

AO

Angola

BD

Bangladesh

BF

Burkina Faso

BI

Burundi

BJ

Benin

BO

Bolivia

BT

Bhutan

CD

Congo, Democratic Republic of

CF

Central African Republic

CG

Congo

CK

Cook Islands

CN

China, People's Republic of7

CO

Colombia

CR

Costa Rica

CV

Cape Verde

DJ

Djibouti

EC

Ecuador7

ER

Eritrea

ET

Ethiopia

FM

Micronesia, Federated States of

GE

Georgia

GM

Gambia

GN

Guinea

GQ

Equatorial Guinea

GT

Guatemala

GW

Guinea-Bissau

HN

Honduras

HT

Haiti

ID

Indonesia

IN

India

IQ

Iraq

KG

Kyrgyz Republic

KH

Cambodia

KI

Kiribati

KM

Comoros

LA

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

LK

Sri Lanka

LR

Liberia

LS

Lesotho

MG

Madagascar

MH

Marshall Islands

ML

Mali

MM

Myanmar/Burma

MN

Mongolia

MR

Mauritania

MV

Maldives7

MW

Malawi

MZ

Mozambique

NE

Niger

NG

Nigeria

NI

Nicaragua

NP

Nepal

NR

Nauru

NU

Niue

PA

Panama

PE

Peru

PH

Philippines

PK

Pakistan

PY

Paraguay

RW

Rwanda

SB

Solomon Islands

SD

Sudan

SL

Sierra Leone

SN

Senegal

SO

Somalia

SS

South Sudan

ST

São Tomé and Príncipe

SV

El Salvador

SY

Syrian Arab Republic

TD

Chad

TG

Togo

TH

Thailand7

TJ

Tajikistan

TL

Timor-Leste

TM

Turkmenistan

TO

Tonga

TV

Tuvalu

TZ

Tanzania

UA

Ukraine

UG

Uganda

UZ

Uzbekistan

VN

Vietnam

VU

Vanuatu

WS

Samoa

YE

Yemen

ZM

Zambia

7

This beneficiary country shall be removed from the list of GSP beneficiary countries one year after the date of entry into force of this Regulation.

Beneficiary countries of the general arrangement referred to in point (a) of Article 1(2) which have been temporarily withdrawn from that arrangement, in respect of all or of certain products originating in these countries

  • Column A

    alphabetical code, in accordance with the nomenclature of countries and territories for the Union external trade statistics

  • Column B

    name

A

B’

ANNEX III

‘ANNEX IV

Beneficiary countries8of the special arrangement for the least-developed countries referred to in point (c) of Article 1(2)

  • Column A

    alphabetical code, in accordance with the nomenclature of countries and territories for the Union external trade statistics

  • Column B

    name

A

B

AF

Afghanistan

AO

Angola

BD

Bangladesh

BF

Burkina Faso

BI

Burundi

BJ

Benin

BT

Bhutan

CD

The Congo (Democratic Republic of)

CF

Central African (Republic)

DJ

Djibouti

ER

Eritrea

ET

Ethiopia

GM

Gambia

GN

Guinea

GQ

Equatorial Guinea

GW

Guinea-Bissau

HT

Haiti

KH

Cambodia

KI

Kiribati

KM

Comoros Islands (Islands)

LA

Lao People's Democratic Republic

LR

Liberia

LS

Lesotho

MG

Madagascar

ML

Mali

MM

Myanmar/Burma

MR

Mauritania

MW

Malawi

MZ

Mozambique

NE

Niger

NP

Nepal

RW

Rwanda

SB

The Solomon Islands

SD

Sudan

SL

Sierra Leone

SN

Senegal

SO

Somalia

SS

South Sudan

ST

Sao Tome and Principle

TD

Chad

TG

Togo

TL

Timor-Leste

TV

Tuvalu

TZ

Tanzania (Republic of)

UG

Uganda

VU

Vanuatu

WS

Samoa

YE

Yemen

ZM

Zambia

Beneficiary countries of the general arrangement referred to in point (c) of Article 1(2) which have been temporarily withdrawn from that arrangement, in respect of all or of certain products originating in these countries

  • Column A

    alphabetical code, in accordance with the nomenclature of countries and territories for the Union external trade statistics

  • Column B

    name

A

B’