Decree No 85 / 1975 Coll.
Decree of the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the Long-term Trade Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland and the Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland on the reciprocal elimination of barriers to trade
Valid
Effective from 01.01.1975
85
DECLARATION
Minister for Foreign Affairs
of 18 April 1975
on the Long-term Trade Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland and the Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland on the reciprocal elimination of barriers to trade
On 19 September 1974, the Long-term Trade Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland and the Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland on the reciprocal elimination of barriers to trade was signed in Helsinki.
Pursuant to Article 8 thereof, the Long-term Trade Agreement entered into force on 1 January 1975. That date also entered into force under Article 20 of the Agreement on the reciprocal abolition of barriers to trade.
Czech translations of both agreements are announced simultaneously.
Minister:
Ing. Chupek v. r.
LONG-TERM TRADE AGREEMENT
between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland
Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and Government of the Republic of Finland,
wishing to promote trade expansion and facilitate the development of economic relations between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefits;
taking into account the principles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, both countries of which are Contracting Parties;
implementing the Agreement between the Contracting Parties on the reciprocal abolition of barriers to trade;
they have agreed as follows:
The exchange of goods between the two countries will take place in accordance with this Agreement and the Agreement on the reciprocal elimination of barriers to trade between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland, signed in Helsinki on 19 September 1974.
The Contracting Parties shall, within the framework of their own legislation, take the measures necessary to create the most favourable conditions for the exchange of goods.
Both Parties agree to increase the exchange of goods between them in order to achieve a 150% real increase in their trade from the entry into force of this Agreement to the end of 1980.
After the end of the first six-year period referred to in the preceding paragraph, the Parties shall set new growth targets for the following mutually agreed period, taking into account the export and import possibilities of both Parties.
Both Contracting Parties shall declare that they are prepared to take all possible measures to increase and diversify their reciprocal exchange of goods in a balanced and harmonious manner, in particular as regards the indications "A 'and" B' annexed to this Agreement and forming an integral part thereof.
Contracts for the exchange of goods under this Agreement shall be concluded by the Czechoslovak Foreign Trade Organisations as a separate legal person or other Czechoslovak legal person, authorised under Czechoslovak law to conduct foreign trade activities and by Finnish legal and natural persons.
Payments between the Contracting Parties shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the Payment Agreement and any amendments thereto.
Given the importance of the exchange of information for the development of economic contacts, both Parties will allow the exchange of the necessary information between sellers, buyers and relevant organisations of both countries.
Both Contracting Parties declare that they will, as far as possible, support the participation of the entities of the other Contracting Party in trade fairs and exhibitions held in their territories.
The Contracting Parties shall establish a Joint Commission, composed of representatives of both governments.
The United Commission will:
- supervise the implementation of this Agreement and to this end assess annually the development of trade between the Contracting Parties; due attention shall be paid to the specific nature of the larger agreed projects;
- develop guidelines for the future development of trade between the Contracting Parties;
- conclude, taking into account the indications of the goods annexed to this Agreement, annual commercial protocols containing the replacement documents;
- consider further problems submitted by the Contracting Parties.
The United Commission shall establish its own rules of procedure.
The United Commission will decide together.
The United Commission shall meet at least once a year or at the request of one of the Contracting Parties.
This Agreement replaces the Long-term Trade Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland, signed in Helsinki on 13 November 1969.
This Agreement shall be subject to approval by the Contracting Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.
This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the exchange of notes confirming its approval and shall enter into force on 1 January 1975.
Each Contracting Party may terminate the Agreement by notifying the other Contracting Party. The Agreement shall cease to apply three months after the date of such communication. However, the Contracting Parties may continue to apply the Agreement for a period not exceeding nine months from the date on which the Agreement actually expires.
Done at Helsinki, 19 September 1974.
For the Government
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic:
Ing. Andrej Barčák v. r.
For the Government
Republic of Finland:
Jermu Laine v. r.
LIST A
Indicative list of exports from Czechoslovakia to Finland
1. Machinery and transport equipment
2. Electrical machinery, apparatus and instruments
3. Chemicals
4. Textile fibres, fabrics, finished products and related products
5. Non-metallic mineral products (glass, glass products, porcelain, etc.)
6. Iron and steel (bars, rods, angles, sheets, wire, etc.)
7. Rubber Products
8. Miscellaneous finished products (toys, games, sports goods, furniture, footwear, travel goods, handbags, etc.)
9. Food and agricultural products
ANNEX B
Indicative list of exports of Finland to Czechoslovakia
1. Products of the woodworking industry (i.e. cellulose, various papers and paperboard; various paper and paperboard products; plywood, fibre slabs and building fibre plates)
2. Products of the metalworking and engineering industry (i.e. machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry; machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry, machinery and equipment for the manufacture of cellulose, paper and paperboard including finishing equipment; environmental machinery and equipment; lifting and transhipment equipment, including transport equipment; machinery and equipment for mining and ground construction including asphalt mixing stations; agricultural machinery and equipment; electrical machinery and equipment; electronics; equipment for the dairy and food industries, including packing machinery, refrigeration and commercial and industrial equipment; industrial, medical and special fittings including measuring and checking equipment, wires, knives, perforated sheets for various industrial purposes; other products of the machinery industry including washing lines for means of transport, metal plating, cable machinery, metal storage halls, etc.; hospital facilities and accessories; articles of metal and accessories including storerooms and other metal furniture, packaging and aluminium profiles, etc.)
3. Chemical and semi-manufactured products (i.e. paints and adhesives; pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical raw materials, oil derivatives, machine felt, prefabricated buildings; construction material and works)
4. Consumer goods (i.e. yarn and articles; knitted and crocheted goods and galvanized goods; clothing and other prepared textile articles; footwear; prints; articles of the plastics industry; sports goods and leisure goods; furniture; consumer goods for long-term consumption)
5. Agricultural products (i.e. dairy products; meat products, livestock; cereals and cereal products;)
AGREEMENT
between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland on the reciprocal abolition of barriers to trade
the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland,
They note the efforts of both countries to contribute to the gradual elimination of barriers to international trade on a global basis and to seek increased trade and closer economic cooperation between countries with different economic and social systems,
With a desire to resolve in a decent and fair manner the problems arising from the current European economic integration processes for trade and economic relations between the Contracting Parties and to this end gradually eliminate the obstacles to essentially all their trade in accordance with the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade concerning the establishment of free trade areas,
Considering that no provision of this Agreement is to be interpreted in such a way as to exempt the Contracting Parties from the rights and obligations deriving from other international agreements,
They agreed as follows:
The objective of this Agreement is to:
(a) prepare fair conditions of competition on the markets of the Contracting Parties in order to ensure the development of their mutual trade in a satisfactory manner;
(b) promote the harmonious development of economic relations between the Contracting Parties by expanding trade and create the most favourable conditions for undertakings and other economic organisations of the Contracting Parties to develop their economic, industrial and technical cooperation to the mutual benefit of their economies.
The Agreement will cover products originating in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic or the Republic of Finland,
(a) which fall under Chapters 1 to 24 of the Brussels nomenclature in accordance with the provisions of Protocol No 1,
(b) which fall within Chapters 25 to 99 of the Brussels nomenclature.
1. No new import duty will be introduced in trade between the Contracting Parties.
2. Import duties shall be phased out in accordance with the following timetable:
(a) on 1 January 1975, each duty rate shall be reduced to 40% of the basic rate;
(b) two further reductions of 20% will be made on 1 January 1976 and 1 July 1977.
3. Protocol 2 provides for customs arrangements concerning certain products.
4. The reduced duty rates calculated under this Agreement shall be rounded to the first decimal place.
The basic duty rates for the gradual reduction provided for in Articles 3 and Protocols 1 and 2 shall be those actually used in trade between the Contracting Parties on 1 January 1974 for each product.
1. No new levy having effect on import duties shall be introduced in trade between the Contracting Parties.
(2) The levies having effect on import duties shall be removed as soon as the Agreement enters into force.
1. The Contracting Parties shall not apply, directly or indirectly, to goods imported from the other Contracting Party, any financial benefits higher than those applied directly or indirectly to similar domestic and imported goods.
2. "financial benefits" means financial duties, internal taxes and other internal benefits on goods.
Protocol 3 lays down rules on origin.
1. No new quantitative restrictions on imports or measures having the same effect shall be introduced in trade between the Contracting Parties.
2. The Contracting Parties shall remove such restrictions as soon as the Agreement enters into force.
3. Protocol 4 lays down arrangements for certain products.
Czechoslovakia will use the means provided by the Czechoslovak economic system and which, in addition to customs duties, have an impact on the access of Finnish goods to the Czechoslovak market in a way that provides Finnish exports with benefits corresponding to those enjoyed by Czechoslovak exports on the Finnish market as a result of trade liberalisation measures taken by Finland under this Agreement.
As a result of their decision to remove the barriers to trade between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland under this Agreement, the Contracting Parties agree to include the following safeguard provisions:
1. Where imports of products originating in the territory of one of the Contracting Parties are made in such increased quantities or under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause disturbance to the domestic market or production of the other Contracting Party, the Contracting Party concerned may, in accordance with the rules referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article, take such measures as are necessary to prevent or remedy the situation.
2. Similarly, such measures may be introduced by the Contracting Party concerned if serious disturbances occur on an economic sector or difficulties arise which may result in a deterioration of the economic situation of a particular area.
3. In the selection of measures, priority shall be given to such measures as least impair the effectiveness of this Agreement.
4. The following provisions shall apply to the application of this Article:
(a) in the cases referred to above, the Contracting Party concerned shall immediately inform the other Contracting Party of the failures and the relevant security measures and shall supply the other Contracting Party with all relevant information necessary for a thorough examination of the situation in the United Commission set up under Article 15 in order to seek an appropriate solution, such notification being made before the said measures are taken or, in the cases referred to in paragraph 4 (c), as soon as possible.
(b) If there is no mutually satisfactory solution within the United Commission within 3 months of the date on which the matter was referred to it, the Contracting Party concerned may introduce any safeguard measures which it considers necessary to resolve the situation, including in particular the withdrawal of tariff concessions.
(c) Where exceptional circumstances requiring immediate action to prevent prior notification to the other Contracting Party, the Contracting Party concerned may immediately introduce the safeguards necessary to remedy the situation.
If the Contracting Party is in difficulty or is facing serious difficulties in its balance of payments, the Contracting Party concerned may introduce the necessary security measures. They'll notify the other Contracting Party immediately.
1. The Contracting Parties shall take all measures necessary to comply with their obligations under the Agreement.
2. The Contracting Parties shall avoid any measures which could jeopardise the fulfilment of the objectives of the Agreement.
3. If one of the Contracting Parties considers that the other Contracting Party has failed to fulfil an obligation under the Agreement or that any of the objectives is at risk, it may take appropriate safeguards in accordance with the rules referred to in paragraphs 4 (a) and 4 (b) of Article 10 of the Agreement in order to prevent or remedy the likely damage arising from such a situation.
The Agreement shall not prevent the prohibitions or restrictions on the import, export or transit of goods on grounds of public morality, laws and regulations or public security, the protection of life and of human, animal or plant health, the protection of national treasures of artistic, historical or archaeological value, the protection of industrial or commercial property, or the rules relating to gold or silver. Such prohibitions or restrictions shall not, however, constitute a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between the Contracting Parties.
Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent any Contracting Party from applying any measure:
(a) which it considers necessary to prevent the provision of information contrary to the essential interests of its security;
(b) concerning trade in arms, ammunition or war material or research, development or production necessary for defence purposes, provided that such measures do not degrade the conditions of competition relating to products not intended for special military purposes;
(c) which it considers essential for its own safety at the time of war or serious international tensions.
1. A United Commission is hereby established which will be responsible for the implementation of the Agreement and which will assess its implementation. To this end, it shall conduct investigations and take decisions in the cases provided for in the Agreement. The Contracting Parties shall bring into force such decisions in accordance with their own rules.
2. The Contracting Parties shall exchange information with a view to the proper implementation of the Agreement and shall, at the request of either Party, consult the United Commission.
3. The Joint Commission shall approve its own rules of procedure.
1. The United Commission will consist of representatives of Czechoslovakia on the one hand and representatives of Finland on the other.
2. The United Commission will act by mutual agreement.
1. Each Contracting Party shall, alternatively, chair the United Commission in accordance with the arrangement to be included in its rules of procedure.
2. The President shall convene meetings of the United Commission at least once a year to assess the general implementation of the Agreement. Moreover, the United Commission shall meet whenever special circumstances require, at the request of either Contracting Party, in accordance with the conditions to be included in its Rules of Procedure.
3. The Joint Commission may decide to set up any working group which may assist it in the performance of its duties.
Protocols to the Agreement shall form an integral part thereof.
Any Contracting Party may denounce the Agreement by notifying the other Contracting Party. The agreement shall cease to apply 3 months after the date of such notification. However, the Contracting Parties may continue to apply the Agreement for a period not exceeding nine months from the date on which the Agreement ceases to apply.
This agreement is drawn up in duplicate in English, both texts being equally authentic.
The Agreement shall be subject to approval by the Contracting Parties in accordance with their own constitutional requirements.
The instruments certifying approval shall be replaced by diplomatic channels.
The Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the exchange of these instruments.
Dane in Helsinki on 19 September 1974.
For the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic:
Ing. Andrej Barčák v. r.
For the Republic of Finland:
Jermu Laine v. r.
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Regulation Information
| Citation | Decree of the Minister for Foreign Affairs No. 85 / 1975 Coll., on the Long-term Trade Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland and the Agreement between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Finland on the reciprocal abolition of barriers to trade |
|---|---|
| Regulation Type | - |
| Author | - |
| Collection | Code of Laws |
| Date of Promulgation | 12.08.1975 |
|---|---|
| Effective from | 01.01.1975 |
| Effective until | - |
| Status | Valid |
The regulation text is for informational purposes only.
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