asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if the certificate of origin for manufactured goods is still necessary for exports and imports within the EC; and, if not, when the need was dispensed with.
Written Answers. - Certificate of Origin.
511.
Under the EC Treaty, certificates of origin cannot in principle be demanded in trade between member states for goods of Community origin. However, Article 4 of Commission Decision 80/47/EEC of 20 December 1979—on surveillance and protective measures which member states may be authorised to take in respect of imports of certain products originating in third countries and put into free circulation in another member state — the relevant authorities of the importing member state may ask the importer of such products to state their origin on the customs declaration or on the application for an import document. Additional proof in the form of a certificate of origin may be requested where serious and well-founded doubts exist about the stated origin.