Imports of processed poultry meat: autonomous and conventional duty rates

PURPOSE: to implement the agreement on imports concluded between the European Union and Brazil and Thailand respectively in order to deal with the problem of potential substitution effects in the import of poultry.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 1218/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: this Regulation concerns the implementation of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and Brazil and the EU and Thailand relating to the modification of concessions with respect to processed poultry meat pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and amending and supplementing Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff.

In order comprehensively to address substitution effects affecting the EU poultry industry, the Commission requested from the Council the authorisation to renegotiate the concessions on poultry meat with Brazil and Thailand. The negotiations resulted in Agreements in the form of exchanges of letters initialled with Thailand on 22 November 2011 and with Brazil on 7 December 2011.

Following these negotiations, this Regulation concerns the implementation of the Agreements between the European Union and Brazil and Thailand respectively in order to deal with the problem of substitution effects in the import of poultry. The implementation of the Agreements concern:

• an increase in the out-of-quota rates for 7 tariff lines of processed poultry meat products, and,
• opening tariff quotas for the same 7 tariff lines of processed poultry meat products, for Brazil, Thailand and other countries.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 21/12/2012. The Regulation shall apply from the date of entry into force of the Agreements.