20. 7. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 198/1 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 7 April 1987 concerning the conclusion of the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and of the Protocol of Amendment thereto (87/369/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community and in particular Articles 28, 113 and 235 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commis- sion (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (2), Whereas the Customs Cooperation Council, at its plenary session in June 1983, adopted the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Descrip- tion and Coding System; Whereas the purpose of this Convention is to facilitate international trade and the collection, comparison and analysis of statistics applicable to such trade; Whereas this Convention is intended to replace, as the international basis for customs tariffs and statistical nomenclatures, the Convention on Nomenclature sig- ned in Brussels on 15 December 1950, which is curren- tly used as the basis for the Common Customs Tariff and NIMEXE; (1) OJ No C'120, 4. 5. 1984, p. 2. (%) OJ No C 300, 12. 11. 1984, p. 53. Whereas this Convention was signed, on behalf of the Community, subject to acceptance, on 10 June 1985; whereas a Protocol of Amendment to that Convention was adopted by the Customs Cooperation Council on 24 June 1986; whereas it is desirable that the instrument of acceptance of that Protocol be deposited at the same time as the instrument of acceptance of the Intern- ational Convention on the Harmonized System; Whereas the Community proposes to apply the har- monized system from 1 January 1988; Whereas it is of essential interest to the Community to accede to this Convention, together with the most important countries engaged in international trade, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS : Article 1 The International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, done at Brussels on 14 June 1983, and the Protocol of Amend- ment thereto, done at Brussels on 24 June 1986, are hereby approved on behalf of the Community.