31.12.90 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 370/39 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3832/90 of 20 December 1990 applying generalized tariff preferences for 1991 in respect of textile products originating in developing countries THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, in particular Article 113, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Whereas in accordance with its offer made within the context of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the European Econo- mic Community opened generalized tariff preferences, commencing in 1971, notably in respect of finished and semi-finished industrial products from developing countries; whereas the initial 10-year period of applica-. tion of this system of preferences ended on 31 Decem- ber 1980; Whereas the positive role played by this.system in improving access for developing countries to the mar- kets of the preference-giving countries was recognized at the ninth session of the UNCTAD Special Com- mittee on Preferences; whereas it was there agreed that the objectives of the system of generalized preferences would not be fully attained by the end of 1980, that it should consequently be prolonged beyond the initial period and that an overall review of the system was started in 1990; Whereas in the interval before the results of this review " are reached, the 1990 scheme of generalized prefer- ences should be extended into 1991 as an interim mea- sure, subject to a number of adaptatlons required by external circumstances; Whereas the Community has therefore decided to apply generalized tariff preferences, in the context of the conclusions agreed in UNCTAD in accordance with the intention expressed in the said Committee, in particular by all the preference-giving countries; Whereas the temporary and non-binding nature of the system means that the offer can be withdrawn wholly (") Opinion delivered on 18/19 December 1990 (not yet pub- ~. lished in the Official Journal). (®) Opinion delivered on 20 November 1990 (not yet pub- lished in the Official Journal). or in part at a later date, thus'maintaining the possibil- ity of remedying any unfavourable situations which might arise in thé African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP States) as a result of the system’s implementa- tion; Whereas, however, most of the preference-giving coun- tries exclude textile products from preferential treat- ment; whereas, under the Community scheme of gener- alized preferences, these products have always been covered by special arrangements pursuant to which, for cotton textile and similar products, the preferences were originally granted in the form of duty-free ceilings only to those beneficiaries under the generalized prefer- ences scheme which were signatories to the Long-Term Arrangement regarding International Trade in Cotton Textiles (LTA) or which undertook, vis-d-vis the Com- munity, commitments 51m11ar to those ex1st1ng under that Arrangement; Whereas the Long-Term Arrangement has been replaced from 1980 onwards by the Arrangement regarding International Trade in Textiles (MFA), and the Community has therefore, in the case of products covered by the MFA, reserved preferences in the form of duty-free ceilings, for products originating in those countries or territories which signed Bilateral Agree- ments, in the framework of the MFA, providing for quantitative limitation of their exports of certain textile products to the Community, or in those countries which undertook similar commitments vis-d-vis the Community; whereas, such commitments have been undertaken by Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecua- dor, El Salvador, Honduras, Iran, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Venezuela; whereas for these products, it is there- fore desirable that the Community should continue to apply the generalized tariff preferences on the basis of the same principles until the expiry of the MFA and the Bilateral Agreements concluded with certain supplier countries; whereas it should be provided that countries’ and territories accepting the renewal of such agree- ments or giving such commitments after the date of" adoption of this Regulation and before 1 January 1990 will be accorded preferential treatment as from 1 Feb- ruary 1990 in respect of the entire volume provided for in this Regulation; whereas countries and territories which accept the renewal of the said agreements or enter into similar commitments after 1 January 1990 will be accorded preferential treatment from the first day of the second month following the date of commit- ment, in respect of a volume calculated in proportion \ " to the period of the year from the first day of the month