{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2020-2131/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2020-2131/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2020/2131",
  "legislation_title": "Regulation (EU) 2020/2131 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the elimination of customs duties on certain goods",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2020-2131",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Regulation (EU) 2020/2131 of the European Parliament and of the Council\nof 16 December 2020\non the elimination of customs duties on certain goods\nTHE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(2) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the European Commission,\nAfter transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,\nActing in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nThe Union and the United States of America (the ‘United States’) have the largest and deepest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world and have highly integrated economies. The two-way trade in goods and services between them is worth over EUR 1 trillion per year, which is approximately EUR 3 000 million per day. That close trade and investment relationship is beneficial for consumers, workers, businesses and investors.\n(2)\nThe Union is committed to improving its trade and investment relationship with the United States. This includes finding new ways to improve the bilateral trade relationship, to address trade irritants and to resolve ongoing trade disputes. To avoid further disruption of that trade relationship, the customs duties applied by the Union to imports should be eliminated for a limited number of goods for a period of five years on an erga omnes basis.\n(3)\nThe elimination of customs duties should be subject to the effective implementation by the United States of its announced reduction of customs duties on a selected number of goods and to the abstention by the United States from the introduction of new measures that would undermine the objectives pursued by the Joint Statement of the United States and the European Union on a Tariff Agreement of 21 August 2020 (the ‘Joint Statement’).\n(4)\nThe elimination of customs duties should apply from the same date as the effective implementation of the announcement of the United States regarding the reduction of its customs duties on a selected number of goods, namely from 1 August 2020.\n(5)\nIn order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to temporarily suspend the application of this Regulation if the conditions set out in this Regulation are not complied with. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council.\n(6)\nIn view of the urgency of avoiding further disruption of the trade relationship between the Union and the United States, this Regulation should enter into force immediately after its publication. For the same reason, it is also considered to be appropriate to provide for an exception to the eight-week period referred to in Article 4 of Protocol No 1 on the role of national Parliaments in the European Union, annexed to the Treaty on European Union, to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,\nHAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Position of the European Parliament of 26 November 2020 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 9 December 2020."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "See document ST 12652/20 on http://register.consilium.europa.eu"
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2020/2131/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:42:11.943636+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."
}