We knew it was going to be like that" (see our article), and the answer of the European Commission to the new Italian law on the compulsory indication of origin on foods products is not a surprise. The reaction, quite irritated, of two EU Commissioners (Health and Agriculture), precises that the Italian law, apart from its possible conflict with the Community legislation (for which Italy has been invited to communicate the law to the Commission as soon as possible via the TRIS service), is unopportune, if we consider that negotiations are ongoing at Community level for deciding on this delicate matter. Read the article on La Stampa.

On 15 February 2005, a request of Binding Tariff Information (BTI) was submitted to the Latvian State Tax Authority (LSTA) regarding to a shipment of LCD liquid crystal displays of different sizes, with proposed classification within the subheading 9013 80 20 of the Combined Nomenclature (CN). In considering the application non compliant with art. 6, paragraph 2 of Reg. 2454/1993 ("an application for binding tariff information shall relate to only one type of goods"), the LSTA refused to give its answer, on the assumption that the LCD displays were characterized by differences (the different size), preventing their qualification as goods "only of one type”. The applicant should therefore have been submitting separate applications, according to the different characteristics of the goods at issue.

(Continues ...in Italian)

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