Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/352

of 2 March 2015

concerning the classification of certain goods in the Combined Nomenclature

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff1, and in particular Article 9(1)(a) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

In order to ensure uniform application of the Combined Nomenclature annexed to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87, it is necessary to adopt measures concerning the classification of the goods referred to in the Annex to this Regulation.

(2)

Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 has laid down the general rules for the interpretation of the Combined Nomenclature. Those rules apply also to any other nomenclature which is wholly or partly based on it or which adds any additional subdivision to it and which is established by specific provisions of the Union, with a view to the application of tariff and other measures relating to trade in goods.

(3)

Pursuant to those general rules, the goods described in column (1) of the table set out in the Annex should be classified under the CN code indicated in column (2), by virtue of the reasons set out in column (3) of that table.

(4)
It is appropriate to provide that binding tariff information issued in respect of the goods concerned by this Regulation which does not conform to this Regulation may, for a certain period, continue to be invoked by the holder in accordance with Article 12(6) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/922. That period should be set at three months.
(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Customs Code Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The goods described in column (1) of the table set out in the Annex shall be classified within the Combined Nomenclature under the CN code indicated in column (2) of that table.

Article 2

Binding tariff information which does not conform to this Regulation may continue to be invoked in accordance with Article 12(6) of Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 for a period of three months from the date of entry into force of this Regulation.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

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

Done at Brussels, 2 March 2015.

For the Commission,

On behalf of the President,

Heinz Zourek

Director-General for Taxation and Customs Union

ANNEX

Description of the goods

Classification(CN code)

Reasons

(1)

(2)

(3)

A stuffed article made of fabric representing an animal, approximately 15 cm high, with a built-in musical module.

The music is activated by pulling a string at the bottom of the article.

See image3.

9503 00 41

Classification is determined by general rules 1, 3(b) and 6 for the interpretation of the Combined Nomenclature and by the wording of CN codes 9503 00 and 9503 00 41.

The article is composite goods made up of different components; the stuffed toy animal and the musical module. The article can be used by children as a toy without activating the music and the stuffed toy animal therefore gives the article its essential character. In addition, articles that incorporate a musical mechanism but which are essentially utilitarian in function are generally classified in the same heading as the corresponding articles not incorporating a musical mechanism and not as musical boxes (see also the Harmonized System Explanatory Notes to heading 9208, group (A), second paragraph). Classification under CN code 9503 00 55 as toy musical instruments and apparatus (including musical boxes) is consequently excluded.

The article is therefore to be classified under CN code 9503 00 41 as stuffed toy representing an animal.

3

The image is purely for information.