ECJ 1. The fact that goods are intended, or are even specifically designed, to be used together and that they are presented for customs clearance together in the same package is not a sufficient reason for classifying them as a functional unit within the meaning of the customs cooperation council’s explanatory notes, if they can be used separately.
The functional unit principle is intended to allow classification under a given heading of machines and appliances made up of components falling under several tariff headings, in cases where those components as a whole are intended to perform the single clearly-defined function referred to in the tariff heading in question. The principle does not apply where some of the components making up a product may be used independently of the other components and for functions other than those which may be performed by all the components together.
2. The expression ‘goods put up in sets’ in general rule A3(b) implies that the goods are closely linked from the marketing point of view, with the result that they are not only presented together for customs clearance but are also normally supplied together, at the various marketing stages and in particular the retail stage, in a single package in order to satisfy a demand or to perform a specific function. General rule A3(b) applies only where goods are prima facie classifiable under two or more headings and classification is not possible under general rule A3(a), that is to say where there is no specific heading taking precedence over more general headings.
3. A combined tuner, record-player and cassette recorder imported together with two loudspeakers intended for use with it constitutes a set of goods falling under heading no 85.15 of the common customs tariff, where the goods concerned are put up in a single package and are intended to be marketed together in order to satisfy a specific demand.
Citations:
R-163/84, [1985] EUECJ R-163/84
Links:
Jurisdiction:
European
Customs and Excise
Updated: 12 December 2022; Ref: scu.215375
