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(1), 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(2) 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(3) 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

(1)

OJ L 303, 31.10.2012, p. 1

(2)

OJ L 181, 29.6.2013, p. 13

(3) 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

ANNEX I

‘ANNEX I

Eligible countries

(1)

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

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(2)
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’

(1) 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.

(2) 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.

ANNEX II

‘ANNEX II

Beneficiary countries

(1)

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

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(2)
CO	Colombia
CR	Costa Rica
CV	Cape Verde
DJ	Djibouti
EC	Ecuador(2)
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(2)
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(2)
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’

(2) 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.

ANNEX III

‘ANNEX IV

Beneficiary countries

(1)

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’