CELEX: 51980PC0534
Language: en
Date: 1980-09-26 00:00:00
Title: Recommendation for a COUNCIL DECISION authorizing the Commission to open negotiations with Bangladesh and India for the adjustment of the Agreements with those countries on trade in jute products to take account of the accession of Greece to the European Communities (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (80) 534
Vol. 1980/0174
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                            COM(80)534 final
        - .                               J
                                            Brussels , 26 September 1980
                         Recommendation for a
                           COUNCIL DECISION
authorizing the Commission to open negotiations with Bangladesh and
India for the adjustment of the Agreements with those countries on
trade in jute products to take account of the accession of Greece
                      to the European Communities            . .
            ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
C0M(80 ) 534 final
 ---pagebreak---                              EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
  I.       The Community has negotiated two Agreements ( one with Bangladesh
  and one with India ) on trade in jute products . They cover the period 1 January
  1980 to 31 December 1983 and at the moment are being applied de facto pending
  completion of the conclusion procedures . The agreements provide that : ,
:       i    Bangladesh and India shall exercise voluntary restraint over their
             exports of certain jute products to the Community;
     ii      the Community shall totally suspend import duties on all jute
             products within the framework of its generalised tariff preferences ;
   iii       the Community will undertake to eliminate all quantitative restrictions
             on imports by the date of expiry of the agreements , i.e. by 1 January
             1984 . ■ :           ^          ■
  II .      These Agreements will have to be modified to take account of Greece 's
  accession to the Communities .
           Greece is a marginal producer of jute goods. Greek firms engaged in the
  jute industry have long . snce gone over to synthetic substitutes, Greece
  imports very little in the way of jute products , which are free of quantitative
  restrictions . But import duties are high - between 8% and 30% , depending
  on the product . Greece 's adoption of the acquis communautaire must not
  jeopardise the Community 's aim in negotiating with Bangladesh and India , which
  was to maintain a degree of protection against imports by means of voluntary
  restraint undertakings ) for a few more years in order to give the Community
  jute industry time to complete its conversion and adjustment programme .
           Negotiations to extend the two Agreements to cover Greece should therefore
         i  be aimed at establishing a Greek quota share in the voluntary restraint
            ceilings in force under the present Agreements and raising the Community
       .•   limits accordingly;
 ---pagebreak---                                -  2
  ii   in return the special rules for jute products under the Community
       GSP would also apply in respect of Greece ;
 iii   all other provisions of the Agreements would also apply in respect of
       Greece.
     The Council is accordingly invited to adopt the annexed recommendation
for a decision.
 ---pagebreak---                  RECOMMENDATION FOR A COUNCIL DECISION
       authorising the Commission to open negotiations with
       Bangladesh and India for the adjustment of the
       Agreements with those countries on trade in jute products
       to take' account of the accession of Greece to the
                            European Communities                '•       :
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,                          -
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
and in particular Article 113 thereof ,
Having regard to the Recommendation from the Commission ,
Whereas the Community has negotiated bilateral Agreements with Bangladesh and
India on trade in jute products ;      whereas the said Agreements should be adjusted
to take account of the accession of Greece to the European Communities ;             whereas
for this purpose it is necessary to open negotiations with the two counteies
concerned,
HAS DECIDIED AS FOLLOWS :                                                          ;
                                      Sole Article
                                  • -             ·         ν          -   ·'···
      The Commission is hereby authorised to open negotiations with the People 's
Republic of Bangladesh and the Republic of India for the adjustment of the
Agreements between t he" Community " and "those" "co'untrTes oh trade in" j"ute producTs
 to take account of the accession of the He I lenTc "Republic to the EuropeanJ           _■
 Communities .    '                                      7                             .
      The Commission shall conduct the negotiations in accordance with the
directives annexed to this Decision and in consultation with the Article
113 Committee .                 '                                                    v
      Representatives of the Hellenic Republic shall participate in the work
as observers along side representatives of the present' Member States .
                                              t
 Done at Brussels,      . . -             Î •   .
                                                                   For . the Council
               '                                                     The President
 ---pagebreak---                  NEGOTIATING DIRECTIVES
Ci )    To establish a quantitative Limit for exports to Greece of
        Category 4 and 7 jute fabrics from Bangladesh and India and
        raise corresponding ceilings accordingly .
CiiJ; " Account will be taken of traditional trade flows in establishing
        the quantitative limits for 1981 .
CiitJ   The limits for succeeding years to include an annual growth percentage .