22.6.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L1771 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1232/98 of 17 June 1998 amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3696/93 on the statistical classification of products by activity (CPA) in the European Economic Community THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community. Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3696/93 of 29 October 1993 on the statistical classification of products by activity in the European Economic Community (), and in particular Article 5(b) thereof, Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 3696/93 established a statistical classification of products by activity, hereinafter called CPA, to meet the requirement of statistics within the Community; Whereas the amendments made to the Harmonised System and the Combined Nomenclature pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2448/95 of 10 October 1995 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Custons Tariff(?) necessitate a minor amendment to the CPA and an alignment and clarification of the texts; Whereas following the amendment of the CPA, a transitional period will be required; Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Statistical Programme Committee set up by Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom (%), HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 The Annex to Regulation (EEC) No 3696/93 is hereby replaced by the Annex to this Regulation. Article 2 The references to HS/CN shall be updated on the basis of the 1996 version of HS/CN. Article 3 1.  The national product classifications based on the CPA must be adapted by 31 December 1998 at the latest. 2.  The Commission may extend this deadline for a period not exceeding two years if the national statistical systems need to be adapted. Article 4 This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 17 June 1998. (') OJ L 342, 31.12.1993, p. 1. () OJ L 259, 30.10.1995, p. 1. For the Commission Yves-Thibault DE SILGUY Member of the Commission () OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.