Article 43: Restrictions to Safeguard Balance-of-Payments

  1.         In the event of serious balance-of-payments and external financial difficulties or threat thereof, a Member State may, consistently with its international obligations and subject to paragraph 5 of this Article, adopt or maintain restrictions to address such difficulties.
  1.         The restrictions which may be adopted or maintained pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article may include quantitative restrictions on imports,  restrictions on the right of establishment, restrictions on the right to provide services, restrictions on the right to move capital or on payments and transfers for transactions connected therewith. However, such restrictions:

(a)        shall, subject to the provisions of this Treaty, not discriminate among Member States or against Member States in favour of third States;

(b) shall at all times seek to minimise damage to the commercial, economic or financial interests of any other Member State;

(c) shall not exceed those necessary to deal with the circumstances described in paragraph 1 of this Article; and

(d) shall be temporary but in any event not longer than a period of eighteen (18) months and be phased out progressively as the situation described   in paragraph 1 improves.

  1.         In determining the incidence of such restrictions, the Member State concerned may accord priority to activities which are essential to its economic stability. Such restrictions shall not be adopted or maintained for the purpose of protecting a particular sector in contravention of the relevant provisions of this Treaty, due regard being paid in either case to any special factors which may be affecting the reserves of such Member State or its need for reserves.
  1.         Restrictions adopted or maintained pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article, or any changes therein, shall be promptly notified within three (3) working days to COFAP and to COTED, and, in any event, the Member State concerned shall immediately consult with the competent Organ if and when requested.
  1.         COFAP shall establish procedures for periodic consultations including, where possible and desirable, prior consultations with the objective of making recommendations to the Member State concerned for the removal of the restrictions.
  1.         The consultations referred to in paragraph 5 of this Article shall:

(a) be designed to assist the Member State concerned to overcome its balance- of-payments and external financial difficulties;

(b) asess the balance-of-payments situation of the Member State concerned and the restrictions adopted or maintained under this Article, taking into account, inter alia:

(i) the nature and extent of the balance-of-payments and the external financial difficulties;

(ii) the external economic and trading environment of the Member State applying the restrictions; and

(iii)        alternative corrective measures which may be available.

 

  1.         The consultations shall address the compliance of any restrictions with paragraph 2 of this Article and, in particular, the progressive phase-out of restrictions in accordance with paragraph

2(d).

  1.         In such consultations, all findings of statistical and other facts presented by the Committee of Central Bank Governors relating to foreign exchange, monetary reserves and balance-of- payments, shall be accepted and conclusions shall be based on the assessment by the Committee of the balance-of-payments and the external financial situation of the Member State concerned.