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 732/2008 , 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/Burma 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 1127/2010 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. Annex I is replaced by the text set out in Annex I to this Regulation;
2. Annex II is replaced by the text set out in Annex II to this Regulation;
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 countries of 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
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.
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 | Kosovo
XS | Serbia
YE | Yemen
ZA | South Africa
ZM | Zambia
ZW | Zimbabwe

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 countries of 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
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.
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 of
CO | Colombia
CR | Costa Rica
CV | Cape Verde
DJ | Djibouti
EC | Ecuador
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 | Maldives
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 | Thailand
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

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 countries of 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
OJ L 303, 31.10.2012, p. 1.
OJ L 181, 29.6.2013, p. 13.
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1127/2010 of 3 December 2010 establishing a transitional period for withdrawing the Republic of Maldives from the list of beneficiary countries of the special arrangement for least developed countries, as set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences for the period from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2011 (OJ L 318, 4.12.2010, p. 15).
This list includes countries for which preferences may have been temporarily withdrawn or suspended. The Commission or the competent authorities of the country concerned will be able to provide an updated list.
This list includes countries for which preferences may have been temporarily withdrawn or suspended. The Commission or the competent authorities of the country concerned will be able to provide an updated list.
This list includes countries for which preferences may have been temporarily withdrawn or suspended. The Commission or the competent authorities of the country concerned will be able to provide an updated list.