Article 1

‘Standard’ means a provision the implementation of which is recognized as necessary for the achievement of harmonization and simplification of Customs procedures and practices;

‘Transitional Standard’ means a Standard in the General Annex for which a longer period for implementation is permitted;

‘Recommended Practice’ means a provision in a Specific Annex which is recognized as constituting progress towards the harmonization and the simplification of Customs procedures and practices, the widest possible application of which is considered to be desirable;

‘National legislation’ means laws, regulations and other measures imposed by a competent authority of a Contracting Party and applicable throughout the territory of the Contracting Party concerned, or treaties in force by which that Party is bound;

‘General Annex’ means the set of provisions applicable to all the Customs procedures and practices referred to in this Convention;

‘Specific Annex’ means a set of provisions applicable to one or more Customs procedures and practices referred to in this Convention;

‘Guidelines’ means a set of explanations of the provisions of the General Annex, Specific Annexes and Chapters therein which indicate some of the possible courses of action to be followed in applying the Standards, Transitional Standards and Recommended Practices, and in particular describing best practices and recommending examples of greater facilities;

‘Permanent Technical Committee’ means the Permanent Technical Committee of the Council;

‘Council’ means the Organization set up by the Convention establishing a Customs Co-operation Council, done at Brussels on 15 December 1950;

‘Customs or Economic Union’ means a Union constituted by, and composed of, States which has competence to adopt its own regulations that are binding on those States in respect of matters governed by this Convention, and has competence to decide, in accordance with its internal procedures, to sign, ratify or accede to this Convention.