Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing certain concessions for the Swiss Confederation in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain processed agricultural products
Date: 2004-08-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Switzerland, accession to the European Union, agricultural trade, preferential agreement, tariff quota

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.8.2004 
COM(2004) 558 final 

2004/0189 (ACC) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

establishing certain concessions for the Swiss Confederation in the form of Community 
tariff quotas for certain processed agricultural products 

(presented by the Commission)

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

Pursuant  to  Article  6(1)  of  the  Act  of  Accession  of  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Cyprus, 
Latvia,  Lithuania,  Hungary,  Malta,  Poland,  Slovenia,  and  Slovakia,  these  countries  must 
directly apply from 1 May 2004 the provisions of the preferential agreement concluded by the 
European Economic Community with the Swiss Confederation on 22 July 1972. On the date 
they  acceded  to  the  European  Union,  the  new  Member  States  had  to  give  up  the  bilateral 
preferential agreements they had previously concluded with the Swiss Confederation. These 
agreements  provided  for  specific  concessions  in  their  favour,  particularly  with  regard  to 
certain  processed  agricultural  products.  At  the  “summit”  on  19  May  2004,  the  EU  and  the 
Swiss  Confederation  concluded  an  agreement,  effective  1  May  2004,  incorporating  the 
bilateral  preferences  between  the  Swiss  Confederation  and  the  new  Member  States  into  the 
preferential  trade  between  the  two  parties.  A  draft  agreement  describing  these  concessions 
was signed on 25 June 2004. 

As the provisions negotiated between the EU and the Swiss Confederation cannot be applied 
from 1 May 2004, the EU needs to take measures to resolve the situation. 

In consequence, it is essential to lay down independent transitional measures which make it 
possible  to  take  account  of  the  specific  arrangements  which  existed  for  trade  in  processed 
agricultural products between the new Member States and the third country in question.  

Such measures, which should not prejudge the outcome of the discussions under way with a 
view to concluding additional protocols, would only, however, be adopted under the express 
condition that the third country in question also take equivalent independent measures in the 
interests of reciprocity. As for the measures themselves, they would be limited insofar as the 
European  Union  was  concerned  to  increasing  the  annual  tariff  quota  for  product  code  CN 
2106  9092  by  280  tonnes  in  addition  to  the  previous  tariff  quota  for  this  product.  Trade 
volume under 100 tonnes has not been taken into consideration. 

The  Swiss  Confederation  has  also  given  a  political  undertaking  to  adopt  for  its  part 
independent  transitional  measures  with  regard  to  certain  processed  agricultural  products, 
having legal effect retroactive to 1 May 2004. 

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2004/0189 (ACC) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

establishing certain concessions for the Swiss Confederation in the form of Community 
tariff quotas for certain processed agricultural products 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community,  and  in  particular 
Article 133 thereof, 

Having  regard  to  the  Act  of  Accession  of  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Cyprus,  Latvia, 
Lithuania,  Hungary,  Malta,  Poland,  Slovenia,  and  Slovakia,  and  in  particular  Article  6(1) 
thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1)  Within the framework of the preferential agreement between the European Economic 
the  Swiss  Confederation  concluded  by  Regulation  (EEC) 
Community  and 
No 2840/721 a concession regarding a processed agricultural products was granted to 
this country; 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

Following  the  accession  of  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Cyprus,  Latvia,  Lithuania, 
Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, the said concession should be adapted 
to  take  account  of  the  specific  arrangements  which  existed  for  trade  in  processed 
agricultural  products  between  these  ten  countries,  on  the  one  hand,  and  Switzerland, 
on the other; 

To  accomplish  this,  negotiations  were  completed  on  25  June  2004  regarding  the 
signature of an agreement which would make the adaptations to the abovementioned 
preferential agreement needed to take account of the effects of the enlargement of the 
European Union; 

However, as  time was too  short, the  agreement could not enter into force for 1 May 
2004, and in such circumstances the Community must adopt the measures needed to 
resolve the situation; 

The measure is to take the form of  an autonomous Community tariff quota covering 
the preferential tariff concessions applied under the agreement to the Czech Republic, 
Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia; 

1 

OJ L 300, 19.12.1972. 

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(6) 

(7) 

A  tariff  quota  was  set  in  2004  for  the  same  product  under  order  No  09.0914  by 
Commission  Regulation  (EC)  No  2232/20032.  The  new  tariff  quota  is  in  addition  to 
the existing concession. 

The Swiss Confederation has also given a political undertaking, subject to reciprocity, 
to  adopt  independent  transitional  measures  in  favour  of  the  European  Community 
having legal effect from 1 May 2004; 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

From  1  May  to  31  December  2004,  the  merchandise  originating  in  Switzerland  listed  in 
Annex I is subject to an open tariff quota according to the conditions specified.  

Article 1 

The quota referred to in Article 1 is to be administered by the Commission in accordance with 
Articles 308a, 308b and 308c of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 19933. 

Article 2 

Article 3 

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

It shall apply from 1 May 2004. 

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

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

2 
3 

OJ L 339, 24.12.2003. 
OJ L 253, 11.10.1993. 

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ANNEX I 

OPEN PREFERENTIAL TARIFF QUOTA  

Order 
number 

CN code 

Description of the goods 

Autonomo
us quota 

Rate of 
duty 
applicable 

Autonomo
us quota 

1.5.2004 to 
31.12.2004 

Following 
Year 

09.0914 

2106 90 92  Food preparations not elsewhere specified 

187 t. 

exemption 

1309 t. 

or included, containing no milk fats, 
sucrose, isoglucose, glucose or starch or 
containing, by weight, less than 1.5% 
milk fat, 5% sucrose or isoglucose, 5% 
glucose or starch 

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FICHE FINANCIERE 

ENTR F4 

DATE: 15.6.2004  
CREDITS: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

LIGNE BUDGETAIRE: 
Chapitre 12 – Article 120 
INTITULE DE LA MESURE: 
Projet de Règlement (CE) du Conseil établissant certaines concessions sous forme de contingents 
tarifaires communautaires pour certains produits agricoles transformés 
BASE JURIDIQUE: 
Article 133 – Article 6.1 de l’Acte d’adhésion  
OBJECTIFS DE LA MESURE: 
Mise en œuvre de mesures transitoires autonomes permettant de tenir compte du régime des échanges 
préférentiels bilatéraux qui préexistaient en matière de produits agricoles transformés entre les 
nouveaux états membres et la Suisse. 
INCIDENCES FINANCIERES 

PERIODE DE
12 MOIS 

EXERCICE EN 
COURS 
2004 
(Mio EUR) 

EXERCICE 
SUIVANT 
2005 
(Mio EUR) 

5.0  DEPENSES A LA CHARGE 

- 
DU BUDGET DES CE 
(RESTITUTIONS/INTERVENTIONS) 
- 
- 

DES BUDGETS NATIONAUX 
D'AUTRES SECTEURS 

(Mio EUR) 

5.1  RECETTES 

-0,20 

- 0,13 

-0,90 

- 
RESSOURCES PROPRES DES CE 
(PRELEVEMENTS/DROITS DE DOUANE) 
SUR LE PLAN NATIONAL / impact 
- 
net de la mesure 

5.0.1  PREVISIONS DES DEPENSES 
5.1.1  PREVISIONS DES RECETTES 
5.2  MODE DE CALCUL:  

n+2 

n+3 

n+4 

n+5 

Pour l’année 2004, basé sur la valeur moyenne à l’importation depuis la Suisse de 187 tonnes du 
produit concerné, code CN 2106 9092, multipliée par le pourcentage de droits NPF de 12,8 % 
applicables aux pays tiers x par 75% afin de déterminer l’impact net de la mesure. Pour les exercices 
suivants, contingent tarifaire: 12 mois soit 280t + 1029t = 1309t. 
FINANCEMENT POSSIBLE PAR CREDITS INSCRITS AU CHAPITRE 
CONCERNE DU BUDGET EN COURS D'EXECUTION 
FINANCEMENT POSSIBLE PAR VIREMENT ENTRE CHAPITRES DU 
BUDGET EN COURS D'EXECUTION 

 NON 

6.0 

6.1 

6.2  NECESSITE D'UN BUDGET SUPPLEMENTAIRE 
6.3  CREDITS A INSCRIRE DANS LES BUDGETS FUTURS 
OBSERVATIONS: 
Pour l’année 2004, l’ouverture du contingent est de 8/12ème du contingent annuel agréé. 

 NON 
NON 
NON 

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