Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2127 of 29 September 2021 amending Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2127 of 29 September 2021 amending Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 OJ L 303, 31.10.2012, p. 1. , and in particular Article 17(2) thereof, Whereas: (1) Pursuant to Article 17(1) of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012, a country which is identified by the United Nations (UN) as a least-developed country should benefit from the tariff preferences provided under the special arrangement Everything But Arms (EBA) for the least-developed countries. The list of EBA beneficiary countries is established in Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012. (2) The UN graduated Vanuatu from the least-developed country category on 4 December 2020. Therefore, Vanuatu no longer qualifies for EBA beneficiary status under Article 17(1) of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 and should be removed from Annex IV to that Regulation. In accordance with Article 17(2) of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012, the removal of Vanuatu from the list of EBA beneficiary countries should apply following a transitional period of 3 years as from the date on which that Regulation enters into force. Vanuatu should, therefore, be removed from Annex IV, with application from 1 January 2025, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Amendment to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 In the table of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012, the following alphabetical code and the corresponding country is deleted from columns A and B, respectively: VUVanuatu

Article 2

Entry into force and application This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2022.