Textiles products from third countries, Uruguay Round: importation common system

The Council of Ministers adopted the regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 on common rules for imports of certain textile imports from third countries (Regulation (EC) No 3289/94). The Regulation is designed to permit the effective implementation of the agreement on textiles and clothing, hereinafter referred to as the "ATC", which was concluded at the Uruguay Round. This agreement basically seeks to put in place a dual process of deregulation and integration of this sector in three distinct phases and will govern all trade between Members of the WTO in textile products during the course of the deregulation process, until such time as they have been finally integrated into normal WTO rules. In order to comply with the agreement the Regulation has been amended in several respects: - scope: the Regulation covers the textile products listed in the Annex to the ATC which have not been integrated into normal WTO rules. As this integration process is to be carried out in three successive phases, the Regulation lays down a clear Community procedure for the selection of products to be integrated and notified to the WTO at each stage (1st phase 01.01.1998, 2nd phase 01.01.2002 and final phase 01.01.2005 integrating all textile products); - the Community quantitative limits provided for in Annex V of the previous regulation, which affect imports from WTO Members, are to be adjusted at the beginning of each phase of the Agreement in order to take account of the annual increase in quotas. Once the EU has incorporated those products which are subject to quantitative limits, these will be removed from the Annex; - as and when certain countries become Members of the WTO, these upper limits, which impose cumulative restrictions on their recourse to the commercial opportunities, shall be abolished, as the Agreement stipulates that no limit may be imposed on the combined use of options for transfer, postponement and advance utilization; - safeguard clause: the provisions of Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 are aligned with those of the WTO. The Regulation shall enter into force on 1.01.1995 and shall be directly applicable in all Member States. �