Article 17U.K.
1.Proof that customs formalities for importation have been completed shall, as the exporter chooses, be furnished by one of the following documents:
(a)the customs document, a copy or photocopy thereof, or a printout of equivalent information recorded electronically by the competent customs authority; such copy, photocopy or printout shall be certified as being a true copy or printout by one of the following:
the body which endorsed the original document or electronically recorded the equivalent information;
an official agency of the third country concerned;
an official agency of a Member State in the third country concerned;
an agency responsible for paying the refund;
(b)a certificate of unloading and importation drawn up by an approved international control and supervisory agency (hereinafter referred to as ‘SA’) in accordance with the rules set out in Annex VIII, Chapter III, using the model set out in Annex IX; the date and number of the customs document of import must appear on the certificate concerned.
At the request of the exporter, a paying agency may waive the certification requirement referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph where it is able to verify that customs formalities for importation have been completed by accessing electronically recorded information held by or on behalf of the competent authorities of the third country.
2.Where the exporter cannot obtain the document chosen in accordance with points (a) or (b) of paragraph 1 even after taking the appropriate steps, or where there are doubts as to the authenticity of the document furnished, or its accuracy in all respects, proof of completion of customs formalities for importation may be furnished by one or more of the following documents:
(a)a copy of the unloading document issued or endorsed in the third country for which a refund is payable;
(b)a certificate of unloading issued by an official agency of a Member State established in, or competent for, the country of destination, in accordance with the requirements and in conformity with the model set out in Annex X, certifying in addition that the product has left the place of unloading or at least that, to its knowledge, the product has not subsequently been loaded for re-exportation;
(c)a certificate of unloading drawn up by an approved SA in accordance with the rules set out in Annex VIII, Chapter III, using the model set out in Annex XI, certifying in addition that the product has left the place of unloading or at least that, to its knowledge, the product has not subsequently been loaded for re-exportation;
(d)a bank document issued by approved intermediaries established in the Community, certifying, in the case of the third countries listed in Annex XII, that payment for the exports in question has been credited to the exporter’s account with them;
(e)a certificate of acceptance of delivery issued by an official agency of the third country concerned, where the goods are purchased by that country or by an official agency of that country or where the goods constitute food aid;
(f)a statement of acceptance of delivery issued either by an international organisation or a humanitarian organisation approved by the Member State of exportation, where the goods constitute food aid;
(g)a statement of acceptance of delivery issued by a body in a third country whose invitations to tender are acceptable under Article 47 of Regulation (EC) No 376/2008 where the goods are purchased by that body.
3.Exporters shall in all cases produce a copy or photocopy of the transport documents, which shall relate to the transport of the products for which the export declaration was made.
At the exporter’s request, in the case of container transport by sea, a Member State may accept information equivalent to that contained in transport documents if they are generated by an information system managed by a third party responsible for the transport of the containers to the place of destination provided that the third party specialises in such operations and the information system security is approved by the Member State as meeting the criteria laid down in the version applicable to the period concerned of one of the internationally accepted standards set out in point 3(B) of Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 885/2006(1).
4.The Commission may, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 195 of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 provide, in certain specific cases to be determined, for proof of import as referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article to be furnished by a specific document or in any other way.