Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2159 of 16 December 2020 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2159 of 16 December 2020 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff OJ L 256, 7.9.1987, p. 1. , and in particular Article 9(1)(a) and (b) thereof, Whereas: (1) Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 establishes a goods nomenclature (Combined Nomenclature or CN) to meet, at one and the same time, the requirements of the Common Customs Tariff, the external trade statistics of the Union, and other Union policies concerning the importation or exportation of goods. (2) Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 also establishes an Integrated Tariff of the European Union (TARIC), which meets the requirements of the Common Customs Tariff, external trade statistics, the commercial, agricultural and other Union policies concerning the importation or exportation of goods. (3) In order for the Union to monitor statistics related solely to the importation of specific goods, the creation of statistical subheadings in TARIC is the most appropriate tool; such TARIC statistical codes are laid down in Annex 10 Statistical TARIC codes of Part Three Tariff Annexes of Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87. (4) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1369 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1369 of 29 September 2020 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (OJ L 319, 2.10.2020, p. 2). introduced new TARIC subheadings for protective face masks to Annex 10 of Part Three of Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87. In order to ensure that those new codes are reintroduced in the Combined Nomenclature applicable as from 1 January 2021, it is necessary to amend Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87, as it is to be amended, with effect from 1 January 2021, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1577 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1577 of 21 September 2020 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (OJ L 361, 30.10.2020, p. 1). . (5) The COVID-19 pandemic situation is ongoing in the Union and Member States are struggling to halt the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, the demand for and use of certain medical goods in the Member States, in particular protective face masks, diagnostic reagents and diagnostic kits, are high and increasing and are likely to remain high into the future. The imports of such goods bring additional challenges to the customs authorities. (6) In order to facilitate and harmonise customs controls in the Member States at Union level, it is appropriate to create additional TARIC subheadings, which would allow to faster distinguish the products concerned from others under the same subheading, thus mitigating the impact of possible delays in the supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(7) Considering the importance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the creation of a CN code would be appropriate, in order to also monitor their exportation. (8) Additional TARIC subheadings should be created in order to ensure better monitoring of trade flows of protective face masks, diagnostic reagents and diagnostic kits. (9) Such additional TARIC subheadings would also facilitate the implementation by Member States of Commission Decision (EU) 2020/491 Commission Decision (EU) 2020/491 of 3 April 2020 on relief from import duties and VAT exemption on importation granted for goods needed to combat the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak during 2020 (OJ L 103 I, 3.4.2020, p. 1.) . As the protective face masks are amongst the most imported medical products, their specific identification in the TARIC would allow for a quicker declaration process by distinguishing such products from other products currently classified under the same subheading. (10) Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 should therefore be amended accordingly. (11) Customs authorities and economic operators should be able to apply the amendments to the Combined Nomenclature laid down in this Regulation as from the date of application of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1577, in order to ensure continuity of the collection of statistical data for the relevant goods. Therefore, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and apply from 1 January 2021. (12) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Customs Code Committee, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 is amended as set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 1 January 2021. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 16 December 2020. For the Commission, On behalf of the President, Gerassimos Thomas Director-General Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union

Annex

ANNEX Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 is amended as follows: (1) In Part Two, Section VI, Chapter 30, the rows for CN code 30021300, 30021400 and 30021500 are replaced by the following: Statistical TARIC codes: See Annex 10.. 30021300- - Immunological products, unmixed, not put up in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail saleFree-30021400- - Immunological products, mixed, not put up in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail saleFree-30021500- - Immunological products, put up in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail saleFree- (2) In Part Two, Section VI, Chapter 30, the row for CN code 30022000 is replaced by the following: Dose (in case of multi-dose containers, dose for adults). 300220- Vaccines for human medicine:★30022010- - Vaccines against SARS-related coronaviruses (SARS-CoV species)Freep/st★30022090- - OtherFree-

(3) In Part Two, Section VI, Chapter 38, the row for CN code 38220000 is replaced by the following: Statistical TARIC codes: See Annex 10.. 38220000Diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing, prepared diagnostic or laboratory reagents whether or not on a backing, other than those of heading 3002 or 3006; certified reference materialsFree- (4) In Part Two, Section XI, Chapter 63, the rows for CN codes 63079093 and 63079095 are replaced by the following: Statistical TARIC codes: See Annex 10. ★63079093- - - - - Filtering facepieces (FFP) according to EN149; other masks conforming to a similar standard for masks as respiratory protective devices to protect against particles6,3p/st★63079095- - - - - Other6,3p/st (5) In Part Three, in Annex 10, the following rows are inserted: 30021300- - Immunological products, unmixed, not put up in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail sale:3002130010- - - Diagnostic reagents of a kind used in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV virus species infections-3002130090- - - Other-30021400- - Immunological products, mixed, not put up in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail sale: 3002140010- - - Diagnostic reagents of a kind used in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV virus species infections-3002140090- - - Other-30021500- - Immunological products, put up in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail sale :3002150010- - -SARS-CoV virus species diagnostic reagents, whether or not put up in the form of kits-3002150090- - - Other- 38220000Diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing, prepared diagnostic or laboratory reagents whether or not on a backing, other than those of heading 3002 or 3006; certified reference materials:3822000010- SARS-CoV virus species diagnostic reagents, whether or not put up in the form of kits-3822000090- Other-

• • • • Protective face masks:63079093- - - - - Filtering facepieces (FFP) according to EN149; other masks conforming to a similar standard for masks as respiratory protective devices to protect against particles:- - - - - - Nonwovens:- - - - - - - Filtering facepieces FFP2 and FFP3 according to EN149 and similar masks:6307909311- - - - - - - - Filtering facepieces FFP2 and FFP3 according to EN149p/st6307909319- - - - - - - - Otherp/st6307909320- - - - - - - Otherp/st6307909390- - - - - - Otherp/st63079095- - - - - Other:- - - - - - Nonwovens:- - - - - - - Medical face masks according to EN14683; other masks conforming to a similar standard for medical face masks:6307909511- - - - - - - - Medical face masks according to EN14683p/st6307909519- - - - - - - - Otherp/st6307909520- - - - - - - Otherp/st- - - - - - Other :6307909591- - - - - - - Hand-madep/st6307909595- - - - - - - Otherp/st