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HAVING REGARD to the wish expressed by the Council of Europe that consideration be given to the possibility of drawing up an instrument enabling national or recognized consumer protection organizations to send samples of consumer products to laboratories in other countries for comparative testing without payment of Customs duties;

DESIRING to support the work of organizations both public and private in contributing to the improvement of the quality of goods and of the information available to consumers;

CONSIDERING that it is desirable to extend relief from the payment of import duties and taxes to other products imported for testing;

RECOMMENDS that Members of the Council and members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies, and Customs or Economic Unions, should :

1. grant admission free of import duties and taxes in respect of products imported for testing, provided that the quantities imported do not exceed those strictly necessary for testing.

Free admission may be made subject to the condition that, as appropriate :

(a) the products be re-exported within a reasonable time unless they have been completely used up during testing;

(b) any products which are neither re-exported nor completely used up during testing, be, as the Customs authorities may require :

(i) destroyed or rendered worthless under official supervision without expense to the Exchequer; or

(ii) abandoned free of all expenses to the Exchequer; or

(iii) cleared for home use by payment of the import duties and taxes chargeable on them in their existing state as if they had been imported in that state,

2. ensure that any Customs formalities required for the application of this Recommendation are as simple as possible;

POINTS OUT that the provisions of this Recommendation shall not preclude the application of prohibitions or restrictions imposed under national laws and regulations on grounds of public morality or order, public security, public hygiene or health or based on veterinary or phytopathological considerations;

REQUESTS Members of the Council and members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies, and Customs or Economic Unions which accept this Recommendation to notify the Secretary General of the Council of the date from which they will apply the Recommendation and of the conditions of its application. The Secretary General will transmit this information to the Customs administrations of all Members of the Council. He will also transmit it to the Customs administrations of the Members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies and to Customs or Economic Unions which have accepted this Recommendation.

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