Emergency autonomous trade measures for Tunisia

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Marielle DE SARNEZ (ALDE, FR) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the introduction of emergency autonomous trade measures for the Republic of Tunisia.

To recall, the Commission proposed to offer a temporary, zero-duty tariff quota of 35 000 tonnes per year (70 000 tonnes in total) for exports of olive oil from Tunisia to the EU, in the form of an autonomous trade measure, and to do this without increasing the overall volume of imports. This tariff-rate quota will be available for a period of two years, from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017, and will enter into force as soon as the current duty-free tariff quota of 56 700 tonnes laid down in the EU-Tunisia association agreement has been exhausted.

The amendments seek to stipulate that support measures for the Tunisian economy should be exceptional and temporary and that the trade measures should really benefit the Tunisian economy.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal.

Members called on the Commission to conduct a mid-term review of the Union olive oil market following the entry into force of this Regulation, and to submit the conclusions of that assessment to the European Parliament and the Council. If it is found that the Union market is affected by the provisions of this Regulation, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt an implementing act in order to propose corrective measures aimed at restoring the situation on the Union market.