Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009Show full title

Article 61

1. Subject to Articles 63 and 64, the following shall be admitted free of import duties, in so far as this does not give rise to abuses or major distortions of competition:

(a) basic necessities imported by State organisations or other charitable or philanthropic organisations approved by the competent authorities for distribution free of charge to needy persons;

(b) goods of every description sent free of charge, by a person or an organisation established outside the customs territory of the Community, and without any commercial intent on the part of the sender, to State organisations or other charitable or philanthropic organisations approved by the competent authorities, to be used for fund-raising at occasional charity events for the benefit of needy persons;

(c) equipment and office materials sent free of charge, by a person or an organisation established outside the customs territory of the Community, and without any commercial intent on the part of the sender, to charitable or philanthropic organisations approved by the competent authorities, to be used solely for the purpose of meeting their operating needs or carrying out their charitable or philanthropic aims.

2. For the purposes of paragraph 1(a), ‘basic necessities’ means those goods required to meet the immediate needs of human beings, for example food, medicine, clothing and bed-clothes.