Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 154/2013 of 18 December 2012 amending Annex II 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 and in particular Article 207 thereof,

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 [^ntr1-L_2013048EN.01000101-E0001], and in particular Article 5(3) thereof,

Whereas:

• (1) Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 (GSP Regulation) establishes criteria for the granting of tariff preferences under the general arrangement of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). Accordingly, a country that has been classified by the World Bank as a high or an upper-middle income country for three consecutive years should not benefit from such preferences.

• (2) The list of beneficiary countries of the general arrangement of the GSP is established in Annex II to the GSP Regulation.

• (3) The Commission has been empowered to adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 290 TFEU to review Annex II by 1 January of each year following the entry into force of the GSP Regulation as provided in its Article 5(2).

• (4) The Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran have been classified by the World Bank as upper-middle income countries in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

• (5) The Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran should be removed from the list of the beneficiary countries of a general arrangement of the GSP and Annex II to the GSP Regulation should be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 is replaced by 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 as from one year after the date of entry into force of this Regulation.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 18 December 2012.

For the Commission

The President

José Manuel BARROSO

[^ntr1-L_2013048EN.01000101-E0001]: OJ L 303, 31.10.2012, p. 1.

ANNEX

‘ANNEX II

Beneficiary countries

[^ntr1-L_2013048EN.01000202-E0001] of the general arrangement referred to in point (a) of Article 1(2)

Beneficiary countries of the general arrangement referred to in point (a) of Article 1(2) which have been temporarily withdrawn from that arrangement, in respect of all or of certain products originating in these countries

[^ntr1-L_2013048EN.01000202-E0001]: This list includes countries for which preferences may have been temporarily withdrawn or suspended. The Commission or the competent authorities of the country concerned will be able to provide an updated list.