2013/500/EU: Council Decision of 7 October 2013 establishing the position to be taken by the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the request for extending the WTO waiver on additional autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Republic of Moldova
Date: 2013-10-07
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Moldova, World Trade Organisation, generalised preferences, import (EU), originating product, tariff exemption, tariff preference, tariff quota








L_2013273EN.01003101.xml










15.10.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 273/31








            COUNCIL DECISION
         
of 7 October 2013
         
establishing the position to be taken by the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the request for extending the WTO waiver on additional autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Republic of Moldova
(2013/500/EU)


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:







(1)


Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (‘WTO Agreement’) sets out the procedures for the granting of waivers concerning the Multilateral Trade Agreements in Annex 1A, 1B or 1C to the WTO Agreement and their annexes.












(2)


Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 (1) was amended by Regulation (EU) No 581/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), to extend the autonomous trade preferences granted to the Republic of Moldova (‘Moldova’) until 31 December 2015 and adjust the tariff rate quotas for certain agricultural products. Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 provides free access to the Union market of all products originating in Moldova, except certain agricultural products listed in Annex I to that Regulation. The products listed in that Annex benefit from limited concessions in the form of exemption from customs duties within the limit of tariff quotas or reduction of customs duties. Further extensions of the scope of the preferences set out in Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 may be adopted to liberalise import of wine from Moldova.












(3)


In the absence of a waiver from the Union’s obligations under paragraph 1 of Article I and Article XIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, to the extent necessary, the treatment provided by these autonomous trade preferences would need to be extended to all other Members of the WTO.












(4)


It is in the interest of the Union to request an extension of the WTO waiver on autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to Moldova pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article IX of the WTO Agreement to permit the Union to afford duty-free or preferential treatment to products originating in Moldova, including certain agricultural products for which limited concessions are given as defined in the Annex to this Decision, without being required to extend the same duty-free or preferential treatment to like products of any other WTO Member until 31 December 2015.












(5)


The Union is to submit such a request to the WTO.












(6)


It is appropriate, therefore, to establish the position to be taken by the Union within the WTO General Council concerning the request,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization is to request an extension, until 31 December 2015, of the WTO waiver on autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to Moldova to products originating in Moldova, including certain agricultural products for which limited concessions, as set out in the Annex, are given.
This position shall be expressed by the Commission.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.




Done at Luxembourg, 7 October 2013.


For the Council


The President

J. BERNATONIS
            





(1)  Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 of 21 January 2008 introducing autonomous trade preferences for the Republic of Moldova and amending Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 and Commission Decision 2005/924/EC (OJ L 20, 24.1.2008, p. 1).

(2)  Regulation (EU) No 581/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on amending Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 introducing autonomous trade preferences for the Republic of Moldova (OJ L 165, 24.6.2011, p. 5).




ANNEX

PRODUCTS SUBMITTED TO QUANTITATIVE LIMITS OR PRICE THRESHOLDS

1.   Products subject to annual duty free tariff quotas











Order No


CN Code


Description


2013 (1)



2014 (1)



2015 (1)





09.0504


0201  to 0204 


Fresh, chilled and frozen meat of bovine animals, swine and sheep and goats


4 000  (2)



4 000  (2)



4 000  (2)





09.0505


ex 0207 


Meat and edible offal of the poultry of heading 0105 , fresh, chilled or frozen, other than fatty livers of subheading 0207 34 


500  (2)



500  (2)



500  (2)





09.0506


ex 0210 


Meat and edible meat offal of swine and bovine animals, salted, in brine, dried or smoked; edible flours and meals of meat or meat offals of domestic swine and bovine animals


500  (2)



500  (2)



500  (2)





09.4210


0401  to 0406 


Dairy products


1 500  (2)



1 500  (2)



1 500  (2)





09.0507


0407 00 


Birds’ eggs, in shell


120  (3)



120  (3)



120  (3)





09.0508


ex 0408 


Bird’s eggs, not in shell and egg yolks, other than unfit for human consumption


300  (2)



300  (2)



300  (2)





09.0509


1001 90 91 
1001 90 99 


Other Spelt (other than spelt for sowing), common wheat and meslin


55 000  (2)



60 000  (2)



65 000  (2)





09.0510


1003 00 90 


Barley


50 000  (2)



55 000  (2)



60 000  (2)





09.0511


1005 90 


Maize


45 000  (2)



50 000  (2)



55 000  (2)





09.0512


1601 00 91 
and
1601 00 99 


Sausages and similar products, of meat, meat offal or blood; food preparations based on these products


600  (2)



600  (2)



600  (2)





ex 1602 


Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood:






—


of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus, uncooked,










—


of domestic swine,










—


of bovine animals, uncooked








09.0513


1701 99 10 


White Sugar


34 000  (2)



34 000  (2)



34 000  (2)








2.   Products for which the ad valorem component of the import duty is exempted







CN Code


Description




0702 


Tomatoes, fresh or chilled




0703 20 


Garlic, fresh or chilled




0707 


Cucumbers and gherkins, fresh or chilled




0709 90 70 


Courgettes, fresh or chilled




0709 90 80 


Globe artichokes




0806 


Grapes, fresh or dried




0808 10 


Apples, fresh




0808 20 


Pears and quinces




0809 10 


Apricots




0809 20 


Cherries




0809 30 


Peaches, including nectarines




0809 40 


Plums and sloes






(1)  From 1 January until 31 December.

(2)  Tonnes (net weight).

(3)  Million units.