Proposal for a Decision on the position to be taken in the World Customs Organization Council in relation to a WCO Article 16 Recommendation amending the Harmonised System

Summary:

Proposal presented on 3 June 2019 by the European Commission establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the Union regarding the envisaged adoption by the WCO Council of a draft Recommendation concerning the amendment of the Harmonized System Nomenclature.

Background and further information:

The World Customs Organization (WCO), established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council, is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations. The WCO offers its Members a range of Conventions and other international instruments, as well as technical assistance and training services. The WCO represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe.

The International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System aims to facilitate international trade and the collection, comparison and analysis of statistics, in particular those on international trade. It includes as an Annex the HS Nomenclature which is an international harmonized system enabling participating countries to classify traded goods on a common basis for customs purposes. The HS Nomenclature is revised every five years.

At its 133rd/134th sessions (27-29 June 2019), the WCO Council is to adopt a Recommendation concerning amendments to the HS Nomenclature. It is important for the EU that the Recommendation is adopted as it aims at updating and modernising the HS Nomenclature and at simplifying and facilitating the classification of products. The revised HS Nomenclature will enter into force in 2022.