Generalised tariff preferences: extension to 31 December 2005

PURPOSE : to extend for one year the period in Regulation 2501/2001/EC applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences for the period from 01/01/2002 to 31/12/2004. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Regulation 2211/2003/EC amending Regulation 2501/2001/EC applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences for the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 and extending it to 31 December 2005. CONTENT : the multilateral trade negotiations launched at the fourth ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation in Doha in November 2001 are not yet over. It is therefore premature to draw up guidelines for applying the scheme from 2005 to 2014, which is a valid reason for renewing the current scheme for one year. Article 12 of Regulation 2501/2001/EC should be amended now to avoid any adverse impact on beneficiary countries whose low volume of GSP-covered trade makes them vulnerable to any change in tariff preferences. In order to take into account the individual characteristics of the developing countries benefiting from the GSP, the special incentive arrangements for the protection of labour rights need to be strengthened in order to give more encouragement to the gradual adoption of the standards set out in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) declaration. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 22/12/2003.�