G/MA/QR/N/EU/ 5/Add .1 
 
5 February 2021  
(21-0935) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Market Access  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO THE DECISION ON NOTIFICATION  PROCEDURE S 
FOR QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS (G/L/59/REV.1)  
EUROPEAN UNION 
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 4 February 2021 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the European Union . 
 
A. Notifying Member :  European Union  
B. Date of notification :  4 February 2021  
C. First time notification:  
 Yes 
 No, last notification was made in (doc. symbol ): G/MA/QR/N/EU/ 5  
D. Type of notification:  
 1. Complete (i.e. notification of all quantitative restrictions in force ) 
 2. Changes to a notification previously made in (doc symbol)  which are of the following 
nature : 
  2.1 Introduction of new restrictions, as listed in Section 1. 
  2.2 Elimination of restrictions, as described in G below . 
  2.3 Modification of a previously notified restriction, as described in Section 1. 
 3. Reverse notification of restrictions maintained by (Member ):  
E. The notification provides information for the follo wing biennial period 
(e.g.  2012 -2014): 2020-2022 and relates to restrictions in force as of 30.01.2021  
F. This notification contains information* relating to:  
 Section  1: List of quantitative restrictions that are currently in force . 
 Section  2: Cross -reference to other WTO notifications with information on quantitative 
restrictions that are currently in force and additional information . 
 
* In English  only. G/MA/QR/N/EU/ 5/Add.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  G. Comments of a general nature, including a description of the elimination of 
restrictions notified under D.2.2 and the date they ceased to be in force.   
 The EU is notifying an urgency measure of temporary application in relation to the C OVID -19 
pandemic. The export authorisation requir ement for COVID -19 vaccines applies to exports 
of vaccines produced by  companies with whom the EU has Advance Purchase Agreements . 
It has a duration of six weeks  but could be extended until 31 March 2021. Based on the 
principle of international solidarity,  exports to several destinations are exempted from the 
measure, such as, in particular, exports related to COVAX , in the context of a humanitarian 
emergency response  as well as to EFTA, the Western Balkans and the EU neighbourhood.  
 
  
  G/MA/QR/N/EU/ 5/Add. 1 
 
- 3 - Section  1: List of quantitative restrictions that are currently in force  
 
 
QR 
No.  General 
description of 
the 
restriction  Type of 
restrictio
n Tariff line 
code  (s) 
affected, based 
on HS (2017)  Detailed Product 
Description  WTO Justification  
and Ground for 
Restriction, e.g. Other 
International 
Commitments  National legal basis and 
entry into force  Administration, 
modification of 
previously notified 
measures, and other 
comments  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
1 Export 
authorisation 
for  COVID -19 
vaccines  
 NAL-X   ex 3002 20  Vaccines against SARS -
related coronaviruses 
(SARS -CoV species), 
irrespective of their 
packaging, and active 
substances including 
master and working cell 
banks used for the 
manufacture of such 
vaccines  Protection of human life 
or health, inter alia  
 
 Commission Implementing 
Regulation (EU) 2021/111 
of 29 Janu ary 2021 
making the exportation of 
certain products subject to 
the production of an 
export authorization;  
Official Journal L 31I, 
30.1.2021  
  
https://eur -
lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=
CELEX:32021R0111&from=
EN 
 
Application period: from 
30.01.2021 for six weeks; 
could be extended until 
31.03.2021  Administration: Competent 
authorities in EU Member 
States  
 
Exemptions include  
(see Article 1.5 of the 
regulation):  
 
- exports in the context of 
humanitarian aid;  
 
- exports to low and middle 
income countries in the 
COVAX Advance Market 
Commitment (AMC) list 
(https://www.gavi.org/news/
media -room/92 -low-middle -
income -economies -eligible -
access -covid-19-vaccines -
gavi-covax -amc ); 
 
exports of goods purchased 
and/or delivered through 
COVAX, UNICEF and PAHO 
with destination to any other 
COVAX participating country;  
 
  
  G/MA/QR/N/EU/ 5/Add.1  
 
- 4 - QR 
No.  General 
description of 
the 
restriction  Type of 
restrictio
n Tariff line 
code  (s) 
affected, based 
on HS (2017)  Detailed Product 
Description  WTO Justification  
and Ground for 
Restriction, e.g. Other 
International 
Commitments  National legal basis and 
entry into force  Administration, 
modification of 
previously notified 
measures, and other 
comments  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
       - Albania, Algeria, Andorra, 
Armenia, Azerbaijan, 
Belarus, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina,  Egypt, Faeroe 
Islands,  Georgia, Holy See, 
Iceland, Israel, Jordan, 
Kosovo1, Lebanon, Libya, 
Liechtenstein, Moldova, 
Montenegro,  Morocco, 
Norway, North Macedonia, 
Palestine2, San Marino, 
Serbia, Switzerland, Syria, 
Tunisia, Ukraine;  
 
- EU overseas countries and 
territories  
 
 
 
__________  
 
1 This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and  is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence . 
2 This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual pos itions of the EU Member States on  this 
issue.