Apportionment of tariff rate quotas included in the WTO schedule of the Union following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Godelieve QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL (EPP, DE) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the apportionment of tariff rate quotas included in the WTO schedule of the Union following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 32/2000.

The proposal aims to apportion the tariff quotas in the Union's World Trade Organisation (WTO) list after the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union. It lists how tariff rate quotas figuring in the EU’s WTO schedule of concessions and commitments will be apportioned between the EU and the UK. It also gives the Commission the power to modify this apportionment by delegated acts should it become necessary following the later concluded agreements with third countries. Tariff rate quotas for agricultural and non-agricultural products are concerned.

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

Quota allocation: Members proposed to enshrine in the provisions of the regulation, not only recitals, the methodology that is at the basis of the apportionment of existing tariff rate quotas between the EU and the UK. An amendment thus clarifies the procedure for determining the share of the Union's tariff quotas.

Members also recalled the founding principles of the GATT Agreement on Agriculture, so that they also apply to the design and implementation of the apportionment of tariff quotas.

Delegation of powers: Members clarified the scope of the delegation of powers to the Commission. In adopting its delegated acts, the Commission shall ensure consistency with the common methodology agreed jointly with the United Kingdom and in particular ensuring that the market access into the Union as composed after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom does not exceed that which is reflected in the share of trade flows during a representative period.

The delegation of powers shall be granted to the Commission for a period of five years with the possibility of tacit extension for periods of the same duration. The deadline for objecting to delegated acts shall be two months from the notification of the act, which may be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council.

While the proposal provides for a delegation of power which would have the effect of amending Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 32/2000 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas bound in GATT and certain other Community tariff quotas, defining detailed rules for amending or adapting these quotas, Members proposed that the current Regulation shall include alignment with delegated acts and implementing acts of Regulation (EC) No 32/2000.