31.12.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 3431 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2286/2003 of 18 December 2003 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code ('), and in particular Article 247 thereof, Whereas: 1 Binding tariff information, issued by Member States for economic operators and containing both confidential and non-confidential data, is transmitted to the Commis- sion in accordance with Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 (?) and stored in a central database managed by the Commission and accessible to all national admin- istrations. In the past, the Commission made publicly available a CD-ROM containing extracts from the data- base, which did not show confidential data. Currently, the issue of this CD-ROM has been suspended, for tech- nical and financial reasons. Since both the public and the candidate countries urgently need access to that information, the Commis- sion should be able to grant such access by publishing on its website an extract from the database for binding tariff information which does not show confidential data such as data on the holder or confidential information about the composition of the goods. Unlike the CD- ROM, that extract should also include images, if avail- able. The economic operators who apply for binding tariff information should be informed about the use of the data stored in the database and it is therefore necessary to adjust the Tmportant notice’ on the related application form and on the form for setting out binding tariff infor- mation. () OJ L 302, 19.10.1992, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by the Act of Accession 2003. () OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1335/2003 (O] L 187, 26.7.2003, p. 16). (4) In addition, it is appropriate in the interests of clarity to rephrase the wording of Article 8(1) and (2) of Regu- lation (EEC) No 2454/93. At the same time, the oppor- tunity should be taken to simplify the system for communicating binding origin information. The trans- mission of such information should therefore be limited to those elements that are strictly necessary. Since the introduction of the single administrative docu- ment on 1 January 1988, customs legislation has under- gone fundamental changes, in particular as a result of the introduction of the single market on 1 January 1993 and of Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 on 1 January 1994. Technological progress, and in particular the increasingly widespread use of computer-based clearance methods, has also made it necessary to amend the provi- sions governing use of the single administrative docu- ment. It is also necessary to bring together those provisions and to republish the forms for the single administrative document, which have been amended since they were first introduced. That update entails the replacement of Annexes 31 to 34, 37 and 38 to Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93. In order to guarantee the Community's economic opera- tors and customs administrations the most harmonised and simplified documentation possible, it also seems necessary to conduct, in due consultation with the repre- sentatives of the business circles concerned, a regular review of the requirements connected with the use of the form, in the light of developments in business prac- tices and the activities of international fora in this area. In order to enable Member States to make adequate preparation for the implementation of the new rules concerning the single administrative document, provi- sion should be made for those rules to apply with effect from 1 January 2006. However, since some Member States wish to introduce the new measures as soon as possible, it is necessary to allow an early implementa- tion.