A customs union is an international agreement to abolish customs tariffs and import/export quotas between signatory states, and adopt common tarrifs for trade with non-signatory states (see FreeMovementOfGoods). A customs union is more than a FreeTradeArea. One of the primary foundational purposes of the EEC was to establish a CommonMarket, which requires not only a customs union, but also provision to allow the free movement of the means of production (see FreeMovementOfWorkers, FreedomOfEstablishment).
At present in EULaw, the abolition of customs duties is governed by Art. 24-5 of the ECTreaty, while the abolition of import restrictions and quotas is mandated by Art. 28. Art. 30 provides grounds on which member states may derogate from Art. 28, including public morality, national security, and public health.
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