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EU/Uruguay Agreement: modification of concessions in the schedule of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union

2016/0058(NLE)

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of the Republic of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2016/1884 on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of the Republic of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union.

BACKGROUND: with the accession of Croatia, the European Union enlarged its customs union. Consequently, the European Union was required under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules (Article XXIV:6 of the GATT 1994) to enter into negotiations with WTO Members having negotiating rights related to the tariff schedule of Croatia in order to eventually agree on a compensatory adjustment.

On 15 July 2013, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with certain other Members of the World Trade Organisation under Article XXIV:6 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994, in the course of the accession to the European Union of Croatia.

Those negotiations have been concluded and an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of GATT 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of Croatia in the course of its accession to the EU was initialled on 18 December 2015.

The Agreement was signed on behalf of the European Union on 16 June 2016, subject to its conclusion at a later date, in accordance with a Council Decision.

The Agreement should be approved on behalf of the EU.

CONTENT: under this Decision, the Council approved, on behalf of the European Union, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of Croatia in the course of its accession to the EU.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

As a result of the Agreement, the Commission will adopt an implementing Regulation to extend the following tariff rate quotas, pursuant to the Single Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013):

  • add 76 tonnes in the country allocated (Uruguay) EU tariff rate quota 'boneless meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled; edible offal of bovine animals, thick skirt and thin skirt, fresh or chilled', tariff item numbers ex 0201 30 00 and ex 0206 10 95, maintaining the present in-quota rate of 20%. The new tariff rate quota shall be 4 076 tonnes;
  • add 1 875 tonnes into the EU tariff rate quota 'Meat of bovine animals, frozen – Edible offal of bovine animals, frozen', tariff item numbers 0202 and 0206.29.91, maintaining the present in-quota rate of 20%. The new tariff rate quota shall be 54 875 tonnes.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Decision shall enter into force on 18.10.2016 and the EU and Uruguay shall notify each other of the completion of their internal procedures for the entry into force of the agreement. The agreement shall enter into force 14 days after the date of receipt of the latest notification.