31/12/2007: Expiration of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement
The current Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States is due to expire on 31 December 2007. The Agreement in its current form cannot be extended and the European Commission has committed to the World Trade Organisation to introduce new preferential trade agreements for the ACP States on 1 January 2008. To this end, individual reciprocal Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are currently being negotiated with six regional groups.
These negotiations have not been completed and a situation could occur on 1 January 2008 where the only form of preferential duty structures available to ACP States will be those allowed under the General System of Preferences (GSP). The preferential tariff structure under the GSP is not as generous as the current ACP arrangement and the rules of origin under the two systems differ to some degree. Some countries that qualify for GSP preferential treatment have not notified the European Commission of the authority that will validate GSP Forms A, nor have they provided a specimen on the validation stamp.
It is therefore possible that come 1 January 2008 some products that are currently being imported under the current ACP-EC arrangements will attract a higher rate of duty and some products may no longer qualify for preferential origin status. It is also conceivable that some current ACP States may not qualify for preferential tariff treatment at all.
More information in this regard can be found in Joint Customs Consultative Committee (JCCC) information paper (07) 44, which can be accessed at the following link.
These negotiations have not been completed and a situation could occur on 1 January 2008 where the only form of preferential duty structures available to ACP States will be those allowed under the General System of Preferences (GSP). The preferential tariff structure under the GSP is not as generous as the current ACP arrangement and the rules of origin under the two systems differ to some degree. Some countries that qualify for GSP preferential treatment have not notified the European Commission of the authority that will validate GSP Forms A, nor have they provided a specimen on the validation stamp.
It is therefore possible that come 1 January 2008 some products that are currently being imported under the current ACP-EC arrangements will attract a higher rate of duty and some products may no longer qualify for preferential origin status. It is also conceivable that some current ACP States may not qualify for preferential tariff treatment at all.
More information in this regard can be found in Joint Customs Consultative Committee (JCCC) information paper (07) 44, which can be accessed at the following link.
