Rules of Origin Portal, March 2004

Importers will find the new portal from DG Taxation and Customs Union a useful development in providing a single access route to a collection of material on the rules of origin and customs unions in force. A good starting point at http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/customs/origin/rules_origin/rules_origin_0_en.htm is the Reader's guide which gives a helpful overview with detailed links to the legal framework, agreements, definitions, lists of countries and websites of members states and their customs bodies. Other access points include sub-headings under the Preferential and Non-Preferential Origin headings, where users can take a regional as well as specific country approach. Below the main access menu are links to the DG Taxation and Customs Union databases which are provided in co-operation with the customs services of the member states, and to DG Trade's Market Access database. These databases comprise Binding Tariff Information (BTI), European Customs Inventory of Chemical Substances (ECICS), Tariff Quotas and Ceilings (QUOTA), Transit Customs Offices (TRANSIT) and VAT Information Exchange System (VIES).

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