24.5.2019   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 179/4


Explanatory Notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union

(2019/C 179/05)

Pursuant to Article 9(1)(a) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 (1), the Explanatory Notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union (2) are hereby amended as follows:

On page 370, the explanatory note to CN subheading ‘8544 70 00 Optical-fibre cables’ is replaced by the following:

8544 70 00

Optical fibre cables

This subheading also includes optical-fibre cables, designed for example for telecommunication use, made up of one or more optical fibres of heading 9001 which are individually coated with a dual layer of acrylate polymer. The coating consists of an inner layer of soft acrylate and an outer layer of hard acrylate, the latter may be coloured or coated by a layer of different colours to permit the identification of the fibres. The optical fibres are individually sheathed by the dual layer coating; they do not form an optical fibre cable of heading 8544 by themselves until placed in a protective casing.

The dual layer coating of the individual optical fibres provides protection and structural integrity, for example by protecting the individual fibres against fracture and abrasion.

Example of the structure of an individually sheathed optical fibre of heading 9001:

Image 1

1.

Optical fibre core (Glass fibre core);

2.

Optical fibre cladding (Glass);

3.

Inner layer of soft acrylate coating;

4.

Outer layer of hard acrylate coating;

5.

Colour coding identification.

Examples of optical fibre cables of heading 8544 made up of individually sheathed fibres placed in a protective casing:

Image 2

Image 3 ’.


(1)  Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (OJ L 256, 7.9.1987, p. 1).

(2)  OJ C 119, 29.3.2019, p. 1.