CELEX: 32013D0500
Language: en
Date: 2013-10-07 00:00:00
Title: 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

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.