SECTION 28

Elimination of customs duties between Member States 1. During the first stage, Member States shall refrain from the establishment of any new customs duties between them and from increasing those they apply in their mutual trade relations. They shall regularly transmit to the Secretary- General all information concerning customs duties, for study. 2. At the end of the first stage and during the second stage, Member States shall progressively reduce and ultimately eliminate customs duties between them in accordance with a schedule to be determined by the Conference on a proposal by the Council. 3. The Conference may, at any time, on the Council’s recommendation, decide that any customs duty be reduced more rapidly or eliminated earlier. However, the Council shall study the question at least twelve months before the date on which such a reduction or elimination is to apply to some or all of the goods and to some or all the Member States and shall submit the result of this study to the Conference for a decision.