Use of EUR1’s extended to 7 more countries
15 August 2013
The European Union has concluded a reciprocal preferential trade agreement with three of the six Central American countries (Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama see Official Journal (OJ) L204 31 July 2013). The provisions of the agreement apply to eligible products released to free circulation in the EU and these Central American signatory countries, on or after 1 August 2013 (the date of provisional entry into force of the trade aspects of the Agreement), and are covered by a proof of preferential origin (EUR1 Movement Certificate or invoice declaration) issued in the EU or Central America on or after that date.
However the trade provisions will not initially apply to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala which have yet to finalise formal signatures.
The agreement has been published in the European Union Official Journal (OJ) L346 dated 15th December 2012, which is published on the European Commission website.
In addition, The European Commission has recently agreed, to a derogation from the normal preferential rules of origin, that enables producers in Colombia to export to the European Union, under the provisions of the preferential trade agreement between the European Union and Colombia, (see Customs Information Paper CIP (13) 47, available on the HMRC.gov.uk website).
A similar derogation for Peru has already been implemented (see Customs Information Paper CIP (13) 37).
