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COM(80)678
Vol.1980/0216

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(80 )678 final
Brussels ,7November 1980
Recommendation for a
COUNCIL DECISION
concerning theamendment oftariff concessions concerning certain
cheeses
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
C0MC80 )678 finalpf ^3-V.- i)ita .c yi

'EXFLi'r'^r' HÏF7MCRANDUM
1.During therenegotiations under Article XXVIII oftheGA7T ,which took
place between 1966 j.id 1968with Switzerland ,.Finland andAustria ,the
Community granted certain concessions tothose countries ,namely :
(i)binding under GATT ofceilings onimport levies onEmmentaler ,
Gruyere ,Sbrinz ,Appenzell andBergkase cheeses ..Different ceilings
;were applied tothelevies onthose products according tothe
presentation oftheproducts (whole cheeses ,pieces packed invacuum )
and theprices tobeobserved onimportation into theCommunity .-In
addition ,aclause ontheautomatic adjustment ofthese prices was
. agreed ; ■v
(ii)"autonomous "fixing ofanupper limit inrespect ofSwitzerland ,
Austria andFinland (byexchange ofletters )forthelevy charged at
thefrontier oncertain processed cheeses forwhich aminimum price
must beobserved
2.Since their entry into force ,these Concessions have remained unchanged ,
apart from theautomatic adjustment ofimport prices forEmmentaler cheese
3.Thetrend ofimports oftheproducts inquestion into theCommunity shows ,
inthecase ofEmmentaler cheeses ,that total Community imports have
stabilized ataround 51000to55000tonnes ,though imports from Austria
have been falling steadily since 1976 .Inthecase ofprocessed cheeses ,
■imports from Switzerland have stayed ataround 3600tonnes since 1974 ,
whilst imports from Austria and toalesser extent from Finland have risen
substantially (seeAnnex I), , '
M.Attherecent Multilateral Trade Negotiations (Tokyo Round ),certain EFTA
countries (Switzerland ,Austria ,Finland ,Norway )requested concessions in
respect ofagricultural products ,notably cheese .

2-
It„wasagreedwiththosecountries thatnonegotiations wouldbeundertaken
inthecontextoftheMTTNbutthattheirrequests wouldbeexamined
subsequently onabilateral andreciprocal basis.-
5.Sincethecompletion oftheMTN,Switzerland ,Finland,vAustriaandNorway
havereiterated theirrequests concerning cheese,pointing outthatother
non-Community countries suchasAustralia ,CanadaandNewZealand had
obtained concessions inthissectorwhilsttheythemselves hadbeen
excluded fromsuchnegotiations .Theirmainrequests areforanadjustment
oftheGATTEmmentaler concessions (Switzerland ,Finland,Austria)andthe
inclusion ofJarlsberg cheeseinthisconcession (Norway).
Thesecountries alsoindicated thattheywouldbewillingtogive
undertakings (onimportsaswellasexportstotheEEC)iftheCommunity
agreedtomeetallorsomeoftheirrequests .
6.TheCommission suggeststhattheCommunity shouldagreetotherequestfrom
thesecountries toopennegotiations ,bothforthereasonsgivenaboveand
alsobecausetheEEChasrequests ofitsowntomaketotheEFTAcountries
concerning thecheesesector.
7.TheCommission accordingly recommends theCouncil,underArticle113(3)of
theEECTreaty,toauthorize ittoopennegotiations ,onareciprocal
basis,withSwitserland ,Finland ,Austria andNorway,withaviewto
"amending thetariffconcessions granted onbothsidesinthecheese
sector.TheArticle 113committee -willassisttheCommission inthe
conductofthenegotiations . '
y
Ihe.Commission 'srecommendation foraCouncil Decision isattached as
lii'lDSXII_ , '

ANNEXI(a)
EECIMPORTS OFPROCESSED CHEESE-1975to1979
b=bound/nb=non-bound
» 1975
a1976 *:1977 :
–«1978 ::1979 :
%\>
«nb:b.:
« .' 4f
nb;bi:nb:
• «;î>':
•M *nb:b:
!.nb;
:FromFinlanda
î4110:4»
s5i
«
573:>––•-––<
» 4
:117i:3149:530::6545:) 4
» 4
:249 :i
;6«
227:*
220:
:Switzerland :39016:193:38331 ::28::44397:94:;40688 ::157 ::41971:3"0
:Austria :7880:633:8815':508 ::7746:655 ::7636 ::220 ::7089:103:
;Total :51006;826:52719 ::583 ::55292:1279 ::54869 ::626:55287:663
îGRANDTOTAL0Fa
m *P '
» <11
»• i
»»
»
îIMPORTS :51
»•-026:
»833:52
•Vβ756:604
» A <
»55293:1311:54
»946:677
9
••:55
»294:
*820:
Source:Nimexe

ANNEX 1(b)
EECIMPORTS OFPROCESSED CHEESE -1975 to197.9
tonnes
• +I
1975 ': 1976 :
..•1977 :
*1973 :
– *1979 :
w*
* •
:From Finland !«
• '*• • 90 :«
«
141 :: 173 :1•
• -
: 215 :
: Switzerland : 317*1 :■3703 ::3857 ':3^70 !: 3613 :
: Austria : 951 : 1997 ■;'2694 :: 3218 : 4613 :
: Total : 4125 : 5790 :-6692 : 6861 : 8441 :
'*
:GRAND TOTAL OF :β:
: 9489 :
» ' •;IMPORTS :4284 : 5981 : 6851 : 7177
: :<a •
I.*: *
Source :Niroexe

s
ANNEX II
RECOMMENDATION FOR ACOUNCIL DECISION
concerning theamendment oftariff concessions concerning certain cheeses
THECOUNCIL OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES , .
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,and
in .particular Article 113thereof ,
Having regard totheRecommendation from theCommission , '
Whereas ,during thenegotiations held between 1966 and 1968 with Switzerland ,
Finland andAustria under Article XXVIII oftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs
andTrade ,theCommunity granted concessions tothose countries ;
Whereas these countries have requested that "those concessions beamended andwhereas
itwould appear appropriate toaccede tocertain ofthose requests subject toacon­
dition ofreciprocity ;
Whereas theCommunity has certain requests tomake tothose countries
concerning thesame product sector ;
Whereas negotiations should therefore beopened ona.reciprocal basis with
Switzerland ,Finland ,Austria andNorway inrespect ofthecheese sector ,
HAS DECIDED ASFOLLOWS :
Sole Article
TheCommission ishereby authorized toopen negotiations onareciprocal
/
basis with Switzerland ,Finland ,Austria andNorway ,with aview toamending ,
thetariff concessions granted onboth sides inthecheese sector .