The first two or three digits… identify the “country in which the manufacturer’s identification code was assigned. They do not necessarily indicate the country in which the goods were manufactured.”
Source: http://www.makebarcode.com/specs/ean_cc.html
GS1 Global Office
GS1 is a leading global organisation dedicated to the design and implementation of global standards and solutions to improve the efficiency and visibility of supply and demand chains globally and across sectors. The GS1 system of standards is the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world.
http://www.gs1.org/
Online Barcode Search
http://gepir.gs1.org/V31/xx//
Basic and Simple Information
http://www.howstuffworks.com/upc.htm