52004XC0318(02)

Notice to importers

Imports into the Community of textile and clothing products after 1 May 2004 following the Enlargement

(2004/C 68/08)

By the present notice, Community operators are informed that from 1 May 2004, the new Member States, namely Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, will apply the EU Commercial Policy, including the quota and surveillance regime on imports of textile and clothing products from certain third countries.

To this end, the Community is publishing in the Official Journal of the European Union a new regulation as an amendment to Council Regulation (EC) No 3030/93(1) with the quota levels applicable as from 1 May 2004. Shipments of textile and clothing products into the enlarged European Union released for free circulation as from 1 May 2004 shall comply with the quota and surveillance management system under the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) 3030/93.

The release for free circulation in one of the new Member States acceding to the European Communities on 1 May 2004, of textile and clothing products, which are subject to quantitative limits or to surveillance in the Community and which have been shipped from the supplier countries to the new Member States before 1 May 2004 and enter the new Member States on or after 1 May 2004 shall be subject to presentation of an import authorisation containing the elements prescribed in Annex III of Council Regulation 3030/93 (surveillance document). Such import authorisation will be granted automatically and without EU quantitative limitation by the competent authorities of the new Member State concerned, upon adequate proof, such as the bill of lading, that the products have been shipped before 1 May 2004. Such import authorisation shall be communicated to the Commission by the competent authorities of the new Member State concerned.

The release for free circulation in one of the new Member States acceding to the European Communities on 1 May 2004, of textile products, which are subject to quantitative limits in the Community, and shipped outside one of the new Member States before 1 May 2004 for the purpose of outward processing traffic and destined to be re-imported in the same new Member State on or after 1 May 2004, shall not be subject to Community quantitative limits or import authorisation requirements, upon adequate proof, such as the export declaration, that the products have been shipped out of the new Member States before 1 May 2004 for the purpose of processing and subsequent re-importation into the same Member State. The competent authorities of the Member State concerned shall provide information on those imports to the Commission.

An updated list of competent national authorities, including those in the new Member States, is published separately on the same day as this Notice in the C Series of the Official Journal of the European Union.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 487/2004 (OJ L 79, 17.3.2004, p. 1).