Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1976 > Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities > Report No. 34 - Units of Measurement: Liquid Measuring Systems: Tariff Quotas for Turkey and Malta

REPORT

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Commission Proposals

The Joint Committee has completed its examination of the following proposals by the Commission all of which come within the aegis of the Department of Industry and Commerce:—

(a) Draft Directive amending Directive 71/354/EEC on the approximation of laws relating to units of measurement (R/3070/75);

(b) Draft Directive on the approximation of laws relating to measuring systems of liquids other than water (R/2912/75);

(c) Draft Regulation increasing Community tariff quotas in respect of certain textiles from Turkey (S/242/76);

and

(d) Draft Regulation increasing Community tariff quotas for certain textile products orginating in Malta (S/273/76).

The proposal in relation to textiles from Malta was adopted at the Council Session on the 3rd and 4th of May, 1976.

B. UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

2. Proposed Directive

When the Communities were enlarged in January, 1973, there was already in existence a Council Directive dealing with the approximation of national laws relating to units of measurement. Provision was made in the Treaty of Accession for the modification of the Directive and in particular for the classification of the various units of measurement in the imperial system by 31st August, 1976.

The draft Directive now under consideration proposes to adapt the 1971 Directive taking the provisions of the Treaty of Accession into account. In essence the proposed Directive deals with the introduction of a prescribed system of metric units (SI system) for economic, public health, public safety and administrative purposes. The proposal includes an Annex in which units are classified under four headings as follows:—

Chapter A—units of the SI system the use of which will be obligatory by 21st April, 1978 e.g. metre, kilogramme, second, ampere, etc.

Chapter B—units, names and symbols whose use shall be prohibited after 31st December, 1977 at the latest. These include some imperial units e.g. hand, chain, furlong, bushel, inch of water, horsepower, knot, etc.

Chapter C—units, names and symbols whose use shall be prohibited after 31st December, 1979 at the latest. Imperial units in this category include yard, square yard, square mile, cubic inch, cubic foot, stone, quarter, hundredweight, ton, degree fahrenheit, etc.

Chapter D—units, names and symbols which are to be reviewed by 31st December, 1979 and which include inch, foot, fathom, mile, square inch, square foot, acre, pint, quart, gallon, ounce, pound, etc.

3. Effect on Ireland

The adoption of the proposal will result in the introduction into all facets of the economy of the SI metric system of measurement and consequently will necessitate amending existing legislation.

In reply to a parliamentary question in the Dáil on 4th March, 1976 the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce indicated that this country would have no difficulty in complying with the Community provisions. He intimated that most of the economy is now metric, in some sectors exclusively so and in others on the basis that it is a freely available alternative to the imperial system. A survey of industry in 1974 showed that 52% of firms were then mainly metric, and a similar survey now in progress is showing a considerable advance on this. The results are expected shortly. Apart from industry, such areas as education, State purchasing, and the work of State and local authorities generally are mainly metric.

The Joint Committee believes that the present proposal is in line with the commitment entered into under the Treaty of Accession and that it should be accepted.

C. LIQUID MEASURING SYSTEMS

4. Proposed Directive

The proposed Directive applies to measuring systems for liquids other than water incorporating volumetric meters with measuring chambers. Its purpose is to eliminate technical barriers so that the goods to which it applies can circulate freely throughout the Community. It provides that Member States may not, for reasons connected with their metrological qualities, refuse, prohibit or restrict the placing on the market or entry into service of systems bearing the EEC pattern approval symbol and the EEC initial verification mark. The requirements to which systems must conform in order to qualify for EEC marks and symbols and so circulate freely throughout the Community are set out in an Annex in the draft Directive.

5. Effect on Ireland

The adoption of the proposed Directive may necessitate alterations in specifications for such equipment currently set out in the Weights and Measures (General) Regulations, 1928. The Joint Committee is informed by the Department of Industry and Commerce that otherwise the implementation of the proposal should have little practical effect in this country because the construction of this equipment is not carried out in a major way in Ireland.

D. TARIFF QUOTAS

6. Turkey

Under the provisions of an Association Agreement with Turkey, the enlarged Community gives duty-free entry to imports of industrial products other than those covered by the ECSC and with the exception of certain textile and refined petroleum products in respect of which duty concessions are provided for, some within the limits of quotas. The Community also gives duty reductions on imports of a limited number of agricultural products. Turkey is eliminating its duties on imports from the EEC according to two timetables—one of 12 years ending in 1985 and one of 22 years ending in 1995. From July 1977 Irish exports to Turkey will receive the same treatment as those from the rest of the Community.

The present proposal relates to the textile products referred to above. Taking into account both the provisions of the Agreement and a decision taken in June 1973 to grant Turkey treatment as favourable as that granted to countries benefiting from the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, the Council adopted on 24th November, 1975 in respect of the year 1976 Regulation No. 3145/75 opening, allocating and providing for the administration of Community tariff free quotas in respect of these products coming from Turkey. The purpose of the current proposal is to continue giving Turkey treatment no less favourable than that given to countries benefiting from the Generalised Scheme of Preferences and it follows automatically from the Council’s Decision of 17th November, 1975 to increase by 5% in 1976 as compared with 1975, the quantities of textile products which may benefit under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences from the suspension of tariffs. When Regulation No. 3145/75 was being adopted it was envisaged that the quantities specified therein in respect of the various products would each have to be increased to comply with the Council’s Decision of 17th November, 1975.

7. Malta

An Association Agreement between the EEC and Malta entered into force on 1st April, 1971. Article 108 of the Act of Accession required the New Member States to accede to the Malta Agreement. The Malta Agreement provided, inter alia, for a reduction of 70% in the CCT rate on imports of certain textile products within the limits of annual Community Quotas. The tariff quotas are fixed each year by Council Regulation and the quotas for 1976 were originally fixed on 24th November, 1975.

The purpose of the Regulation adopted on 3rd May, 1976 is to give Malta treatment no less favourable than that given to countries benefitting from the Generalised Scheme of Preferences and it follows automatically from the Council’s Decision of 17th November, 1975, to increase by 5% in 1976 as compared with 1975, the quantities of textile products which may benefit under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences from the suspension of tariffs. When the tariff quotas for 1976 were being fixed originally in November, 1975 it was envisaged that the quantities mentioned in each would have to be increased to comply with the Council’s Decision of 17th November, 1975.

8. Effect on Ireland

As far as Turkey is concerned the proposal involves no increase in Ireland’s share of the quotas already fixed for carpets, carpeting and rugs and an increase of 1 ton only in its share of the quotas already fixed for both cotton yarn and other woven fabrics of cottons. The Joint Committee has been informed by the Department of Industry and Commerce that our imports of these two latter products complement rather than compete with home production and the proposed increases in the tariff free quotas for these two products will merely afford certain branches of our textiles and clothing industries duty-free access to an additional but insignificantly small quantity of raw materials for further processing. However, there were no imports against Ireland’s shares of the quotas opened for 1975 in respect of the three products in question.

As regards the Regulation relating to Malta, Ireland’s share of the quota is being left unaltered except in the case of manmade fibres where an increase from 30 to 31 metric tons is proposed. The Joint Committee has been informed by the Department of Industry and Commerce that the implications of the Regulation for Ireland are minimal. In 1975, imports under the four quotas involved amounted to 31 kilograms only.

(Signed) CHARLES J. HAUGHEY,

Chairman of the Joint Committee.

30th June, 1976.