Trade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products
The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development adopted the report by Paolo DE CASTRO (S&D, IT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the trade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products.
The committee recommends that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading, following the ordinary legislative procedure, should amend the Commission proposal as follows:
Respect for environmental and safety standards: Members introduced the definition of the term "qualified external protection" meaning an external protection that prohibits the importation of products that do not meet Union food safety laws and that raises tariffs on products not meeting Union environmental, animal welfare or social standards.
Alignment of the new provisions to the Lisbon Treaty (delegated and implementing powers): the report proposed accepting the European Parliament’s standard position in all the negotiations concerning the alignment and including the same position on the Common Market Organisations.
The Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts to:
- ensure that imported products meet the minimum quality and environmental standards of the Union;
- set out the situations in which the lodging of a security is required;
- update and further specify existing marketing standards referred to in Article 55 of the Regulation establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation);
- ensure the application of horizontal provisions concerning checks, verification and penalties.
The power to adopt the delegated acts should be conferred on the Commission for a period of seven years (renewable) from the date of entry into force of this Regulation. The co-legislators must be given sufficient time (four months) to properly scrutinize delegated acts.
Members called for the European Parliament to be duly involved in preparation and implementation of delegated acts.
Export refunds: the committee proposed to include the same position on the single CMO to ensure that export refunds will be applied only in exceptional cases, such as market disturbances.
Application date: the date of application should be brought in line with the new single CMO. It should therefore apply from 1 January 2015.