CHAPTER 1

THE CUSTOMS UNION

Section 1

Elimination of customs duties between Member States

Article 12

Member States shall refrain from introducing between themselves any new customs  duties on imports or exports or any charges having equivalent effect, and from  increasing those which they already apply in their trade with each other.

Article 13

1. Customs duties on imports in force between Member States shall be progressively  abolished by them during the transitional period in accordance with Articles 14 and  15.

2. Charges having an effect equivalent to customs duties on imports, in force  between Member States, shall be progressively abolished by them during the  transitional period. The Commission shall determine by means of directives the  timetable for such abolition. It shall be guided by the rules contained in Article 14( 2 )  and ( 3 ) and by the directives issued by the Council pursuant to Article 14( 2 ).

Article 14

1. For each product, the basic duty to which the successive reductions shall be applied shall be the duty applied on 1 January 1957.

2. The timetable for the reductions shall be determined as follows:

a. during the first stage, the first reduction shall be made one year after the date when this Treaty enters into force; the second reduction, 18 months later; the third reduction, at the end of the fourth year after the date when this Treaty enters into force;
b.during the second stage, a reduction shall be made 18 months after that stage begins; a second reduction, 18 months after the preceding one; a third reduction, one year later;
c.any remaining reductions shall be made during the third stage; the Council shall, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, determine the timetable therefor by means of directives.

3. At the time of the first reduction, Member States shall introduce between themselves a duty on each product equal to the basic duty minus 10%.

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