51994PC0349

Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1657/93 temporarily suspending the autonomous Customs Tariff duties on certain industrial products intended to equip the free zones of the Azores and Madeira (94/C 322/09) COM(94) 349 final - 94/0191(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 7 September 1994)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 28 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 1657/93 (1) introduces a temporary suspension of the autonomous Customs Tariff duties on certain industrial products intended to equip the free zones of the Azores and Madeira;

Whereas the Portuguese authorities have asked for the suspension of autonomous Common Customes Tariff duties on capital goods other than those covered by the above Regulation (EEC) No 1657/93; whereas the grounds for this request are the increase in the number of firms operating in the free zone of Madeira and the diversification of local economic activities;

Whereas Council Decision 91/315/EEC acknowledges the role of the free zones in the economic development of the areas in question and highlights the advisability of adopting specific customs measures to help boost these free zones;

Whereas it transpires from the information provided by the Portuguese authorities that since the entry into force of Regulation (EEC) No 1657/93, new economic activities are starting up in the free zone of Madeira; whereas capital goods are needed to maintain these activities; whereas it therefore seems justified to suspend Common Customs Tariff duties on these products when they are imported into Madeira and the Azores for the free zones of these regions; whereas the Annex to Regulation (EEC) No 1657/93 should be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The Annex to Regulation (EEC) No 1657/93 shall be amended in line with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

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

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

(1) OJ No L 158, 30. 6. 1993, p. 1.

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