L 79/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 30.3.2000 II (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 20 March 2000 authorising the Kingdom of the Netherlands to apply a measure derogating from Article 11 of the Sixth Directive (77/388/EEC) on the harmonisation of the laws of Member States relating to turnover taxes (2000/256/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Sixth Council Directive (77/388/EEC) of 17 May 1977 on the harmonisation of the laws of Member States relating to turnover taxes — Common system of value added tax: uniform basis of assessment (') (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Sixth VAT Directive), and in particular Article 27 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas: 1 In a letter registered by the Secretariat—General of the Commission on 1 September 1999, the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands requested authorisation on the basis of Article 27 of the Sixth VAT Directive, to apply a measure derogating from Article 1(A)(1)(a) thereof. Under Article 27(1) of the Sixth VAT Directive, the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission, may authorise any Member State to introduce special measures for derogation from the provisions of the Directive, in order to simplify the procedure for charging the tax or to prevent certain types of tax evasion or avoidance. In accordance with Article 27, the other Member States were informed of the request from the Kingdom of the Netherlands by letter of 28 October 1999. Article 11(A)(1)(a) of the Sixth VAT Directive states that, in principle, the taxable amount in respect of supplies of goods and services is to be everything which constitutes the consideration which has been or is to be obtained by the supplier for such supplies from the purchaser, the customer or a third party. By way of derogation from these provisions, the Kingdom of the Netherlands has requested authorisation to include in the taxable amount for transactions involving the working of investment gold the value of the raw material provided by the purchaser and used to make the finished product. (') OJ L 145, 13.6.1977, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive 1999/85/EC (OJ L 277, 28.10.1999, p. 34).