{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-1997-359/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-1997-359/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/1997/359",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision of 24 March 1997The consolidated text of this Decision incorporates corrections approved by the Council on 14 May 1997. concerning the elimination of duties on information technology products (97/359/EC)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-1997-359",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision\nof 24 March 1997\nconcerning the elimination of duties on information technology products\n(97/359/EC)\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 113, in conjunction with Article 228 (2) first sentence, thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the Commission,\nWhereas in the new Transatlantic Agenda adopted at the EU-US summit in Madrid of 13 December 1995, it was decided to attempt to conclude an Information Technology Agreement;\nWhereas, following reports from the Commission on its exploratory consultations with third countries, on 16 November 1996 the Council decided to open negotiations with third countries with a view to concluding an Information Technology Agreement;\nWhereas on 13 December 1996, at the first Conference of the World Trade Organization in Singapore, a Ministerial Declaration on trade in information technology products was adopted; whereas the Declaration sets out certain preconditions for the implementation of the elimination of tariffs for information technology products; whereas these preconditions have been met;\nWhereas the Ministerial Declaration on trade in information technology products together with its annexes and attachments form the Agreement on trade in information technology products;\nWhereas the EC-ITA Schedule CXL, modifying the existing Community schedule, should be submitted to the World Trade Organization;\nWhereas the Agreement on trade in information technology products together with the Communication on its implementation should be approved on behalf of the Community,\nHAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "The consolidated text of this Decision incorporates corrections approved by the Council on 14 May 1997."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/1997/359/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:19:11.400956+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}