PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) SUSPENDING THE IMPORT LEVY ON GOATMEAT AND SHEEPMEAT
Date: 1990-01-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: import levy, sheepmeat, third country

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

•a 

COMOO) 28  final 

Brussels,26  January 1990 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 

suspending the import levy on goatmeat and sheepueat 

(presented by the Commission) 

1.  In accordance with the directives adopted by the Council, negotiations 

were initiated with the countries which are the main suppliers of 
sheepneat and goatmeat to the Ooranunity, with a view to adjusting the 
relevant voluntary restraint agreements concluded with those countries. 

2. As a result of the negotiations, agreements were concluded with some of 
the countries concerned, namely New Zealand, Argentina and Australia. 
It is laid down in these agreements that the Community will make a 
counter concession by completely suspending the import levy on sheepmeat 
and goatmeat. 
For New Zealand, the first oountry with which the adjustment agreement 
was signed, the tariff suspension was applied by Commission 
Regulation (EEC) No 3652/89 of 6 December 1989, with retroactive effect 
from 1 January 1989. 

3. In view of the Community's international obligations, and more 

especially Article 1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 
(GATT), this tariff suspension must be applied unilaterally to all the 
other countries, on the same basis as for New Zealand, without awaiting 
the conclusion of the negotiations in progress with the other countries 
which supply the Community. 

4. It is therefore proposed that the Council should adopt the attached 

draft regulation. 

Proposal 

for  a 

mihK:ii.  RrtjnATTnw  fgyarn  ^n 

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of 

. .. 

suspending the import levy on goatmeat and sheepmeat 

THE OODNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN OOMMONITIES, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Ctammunity, 
and in particular Article 113 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Whereas, in the context of the recent adjustments to the common 
organization of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat, it was considered 
necessary to adjust the relevant voluntary restraint agreements with 
certain non-Community countries in order to stabilize imports and improve 
import prices; 

Whereas negotiations were conducted to that effect with the countries 
concerned and an agreement was concluded with New Zealand;1  whereas that 
agreement provides for the complete suspension of the import levy on 
sheepmeat and goatmeat until 31 December 1992 as a counter concession by 
the Community; 

Whereas the Community has voluntary restraint agreements with its main 
suppliers, or, failing that, equivalent unilateral arangements;  whereas 
negotiations are still being held on those agreements or arrangements, and 
in particular on the quantities to be laid down, 

Whereas, in accordance with the Community's international  obligations, the 
suspension should be extended to all supplier countries, subject to certain 
quantitative limits; 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

1 0 JL  318, 31.10.1989, p. 13. 

3 

Article 1 

- 2 -

By way of derogation from the voluntary restraint agreements concluded with 
Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Iceland, Poland, Romania, and 
Yugoslavia, and by way of derogation from Council 
Regulation (EEC) No 3643/85, the oolleotion of the levy on imports of 
sheepmeat and goatmeat falling within CN code 0204 shall be suspended until 
31 December 1992, within the quantitative limits laid down in the 
abovementioned agreements and in Council Regulation (EBC) No 3643/85 
respectively. 

Article 2 

Detailed rules for implementing this Regulation shall be adopted in 
accordance with the procedure provided for in Article 30 of 
Regulation (ESC) No 3013/89.* 

Article 3 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the 
Official Journal of the European Communities. 

It shall apply from 1 January 1989. 

This Regulation shall be binning in its entirety and directly applicable in 
all Member States. 

Done at .... 

For the Council 
The President 

1 Q JL 289, 7.10.1989, p. 1. 

FINANCIAL  ST&EBfENT 

(POKM/90/FF002) 
EflTE:  11.1.1980 

1.  BUDGET HEADING:  100 

APPROPRIATIONS:  BCU  1  152.8  m i l l i on 

d r a ft  1990  budget 

2. TITLE: 
Proposal for a Council Regulation suspending the import levy on sheepmeat 
and goatmeat 

3. LEGAL BASIS:  Article 113 of the Treaty 

4. AIMS:  Extension to all sheepmeat and goatmeat supplier countries of the 

5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: 

PERIOD 
OF 12 
MONIES 

CUKKfcWT 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
(1990) 

FOLLOWING 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
(1991) 

5.0. EXPENDITURE 

- CHARGED TO THE EC 

HTlDGKr 
(IMTERVHjriCNS) 

5.1. REVENUE 

- EC CWN RESOURCES 

(LEVIES) 
- NATIONAL 

token 
entry^-

entry* 

token 
entry 

token 

- ECU 1. 
mllHem 

.7 

- BCU 3.4 
mi 1H an 

- ECU 1.7 
million 

1992 

5.0.1. ESTIMATED EXPQdETDRE 
5.1.1. ESTIMATED REVENDE 

token entry 
- BCD 1.7 million 

5.2. METHOD OF CALCULATION: 

The average levy on sheepmeat imports is ECU 1.750/t.  For imports from 
these nce-Camraunity countries the levy is, however, limited to the 10% 
autonomous duty arising from the binding under  GKn,  i.e. about ECU 150/t. 
If this duty were suspended, the loss of revenue for 12 months would be: 
10 365 t x ECU 150/t xl.ll (double rate) - - BCO 1.7 million. 
Since the measure  Is  retroactive from 1 January 1989, the levies collected 
on meat imports in 1989 will have to be reimbursed in 1990.  It is 
estimated that the cost of this reimbursement under the 1990 budget will be 
ECU 1.7 million. 

6.0. CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED FROM APPROPRIATIONS HWERHD IN THE 
RELEVANT CHAPTER OF OSE CURRENT BUDGET? 

6.1. CAN THE PROJECT BY FINANCED EY TRANSFHl BETWEEN CHAPTERS OF THE 
CURRBtT BUDGET? 

6.2. WILL A SUPPLEMBJTAKY BUDGET BE NBCESSAK?? 

6.3. WILL FUTURE BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS BE NECESSARY? 

NO 

NO 

NO 

YES 

COMMENTS:  (1) 

Since there is no precise undertaking concerning the import price in the 
agreement, the zero import levy on this type of meat may depress prices on 
the Community market, and cause a corresponding rise in the premiums 
granted and so increase Community budget expenditure.  It is difficult to 
estimate the extent of this phenomenon. 

c 

FICHE  D'IMPACT  SUR  LA  COMPETITIVITE  ET  L'EMPLOI 

Proposition  de  règlement  du  Conseil  relatif  à  la  suspension 
du  prélèvement  applicable  à  l'Importation  de  viande  ovine  et  caprine 

Ce  projet  de  règlement  vise  à  étendre,  en  faveur  de  l'ensemble  des  pays 
fournisseurs  de  viande  ovine  et  caprine  de  la Communauté,  une  concession  déjà 
accordée  à  certains  pays,  notamment 
l'Argentine, 
l'Australie  et  l'Uruguay,  (suspension  totale  du  prélèvement  applicable  à 
I'importât ion). 

la  Nouvelle-Zélande, 

La  mesure  proposée  s'avère  nécessaire,  compte 
tenu  des  obligations 
internationales  de  la Communauté  et  plus  particulièrement  des  dispositions  de 
l'article  premier  de  l'Accord  Général  sur  les  tarifs  Douaniers  et  le  Commerce 
(GATT) 

et 

Dans  la mesure  où  il  ne  modifie  pas  les  quantités  traditionnelles  réellement 
fournies 
importées 
traditionnellement  par  les  quatre  pays  indiqués  ci-dessus,  ce  projet  n'a 
pratiquement  pas  d'impact  sur  les  entreprises.  On  peut  également  considérer 
que  la mesure  proposée  ne  leur  imposera  pas  des  coûts  supplémentaires. 

l'Importance 

quantités 

compte 

tenu 

des 

de 

;1 

ISSN 0254-147:. 

COM(90) 28 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

11 

Catalogue number : CB-CO-90-026-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-56882-8 

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