4.6.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 160/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1154/98 of 25 May 1998 applying the special incentive arrangements concerning labour rights and envir- onmental protection provided for in Articles 7 and 8 of Regulations (EC) No 3281/94 and (EC) No 1256/96 applying multiannual schemes of generalised tariff preferences in respect of certain industrial and agricultural products originating in developing countries THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 113 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), (1) Whereas Articles 7 and 8 of Regulations (EC) No 3281/94 (*) and (EC) No 1256/96 (°) provide that, as from 1 January 1998, special incentive arrange- ments in the form of additional preferences may be granted to developing countries covered by the abovementioned Regulations; whereas to this end, the Council has undertaken a review on the basis of Commission reports on the results of work within the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Organisa- tion for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) on the link between trade and labour rights and between trade and the environ- ment; (2) Whereas in the light of this review the results of the international debate on social and environ- mental clauses encourage the implementation of positive, development-oriented incentives reward- 1 () OJ C 360, 26. 11. 1997, p. 9. () OJ C 14, 19. 1. 1998. ) OJ C 73, 9. 3. 1998, p. 51. () OJ L 348, 31. 12. 1994 p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 998/97 (OJ L 144, 4. 6. 1997, p. 13). () OJ L 160, 29. 6. 1996, p. 1. Regulatlon as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2448/96 (O] L 333, 21. 12. 1996, p. 12). ing compliance with international social and envir- onmental standards; Whereas the special incentive arrangements provided for in Articles 7 and 8 of Regulations (EC) No 3281/94 and (EC) No 1256/96 meet this ob- jective; Whereas the special incentive arrangements should be applied to countries which are beneficiaries of the scheme of generalised tariff preferences; whereas this should also be the case in sectors where they may be subject to the graduation mech- anism; whereas, however, this should not be the case for sectors subject to the arrangements provided for in Article 5(1) of Regulations (EC) No 3281/94 and (EC) No 1256/96, as they are excluded for reasons of competitive capacity irrespective of the level of development of the country concerned; Whereas, under Article 7(1) of Regulations (EC) No 3281/94 and (EC) No 1256/96, the incentives concerning labour rights may be granted only to countries which request them in writing and provide proof that they apply legislation incorpor- ating the substance of the standards laid down in International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conven- tions Nos 87 and 98 concerning the application of the principles of the right to organise and to bargain collectively and ILO Convention No 138 concerning the minimum age for admission to employment; Whereas the special incentive arrangements concerning labour rights should be confined to countries, or in certain cases, to production sectors that have actually taken steps to comply with the