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Document 32013D0500

    2013/500/EU: Council Decision of 7 October 2013 establishing the position to be taken by the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the request for extending the WTO waiver on additional autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Republic of Moldova

    OJ L 273, 15.10.2013, p. 31–34 (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

    Legal status of the document In force

    ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2013/500/oj

    15.10.2013   

    EN

    Official Journal of the European Union

    L 273/31


    COUNCIL DECISION

    of 7 October 2013

    establishing the position to be taken by the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the request for extending the WTO waiver on additional autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Republic of Moldova

    (2013/500/EU)

    THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

    Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

    Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

    Whereas:

    (1)

    Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (‘WTO Agreement’) sets out the procedures for the granting of waivers concerning the Multilateral Trade Agreements in Annex 1A, 1B or 1C to the WTO Agreement and their annexes.

    (2)

    Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 (1) was amended by Regulation (EU) No 581/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), to extend the autonomous trade preferences granted to the Republic of Moldova (‘Moldova’) until 31 December 2015 and adjust the tariff rate quotas for certain agricultural products. Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 provides free access to the Union market of all products originating in Moldova, except certain agricultural products listed in Annex I to that Regulation. The products listed in that Annex benefit from limited concessions in the form of exemption from customs duties within the limit of tariff quotas or reduction of customs duties. Further extensions of the scope of the preferences set out in Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 may be adopted to liberalise import of wine from Moldova.

    (3)

    In the absence of a waiver from the Union’s obligations under paragraph 1 of Article I and Article XIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, to the extent necessary, the treatment provided by these autonomous trade preferences would need to be extended to all other Members of the WTO.

    (4)

    It is in the interest of the Union to request an extension of the WTO waiver on autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to Moldova pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article IX of the WTO Agreement to permit the Union to afford duty-free or preferential treatment to products originating in Moldova, including certain agricultural products for which limited concessions are given as defined in the Annex to this Decision, without being required to extend the same duty-free or preferential treatment to like products of any other WTO Member until 31 December 2015.

    (5)

    The Union is to submit such a request to the WTO.

    (6)

    It is appropriate, therefore, to establish the position to be taken by the Union within the WTO General Council concerning the request,

    HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

    Article 1

    The position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization is to request an extension, until 31 December 2015, of the WTO waiver on autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to Moldova to products originating in Moldova, including certain agricultural products for which limited concessions, as set out in the Annex, are given.

    This position shall be expressed by the Commission.

    Article 2

    This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.

    Done at Luxembourg, 7 October 2013.

    For the Council

    The President

    J. BERNATONIS


    (1)  Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 of 21 January 2008 introducing autonomous trade preferences for the Republic of Moldova and amending Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 and Commission Decision 2005/924/EC (OJ L 20, 24.1.2008, p. 1).

    (2)  Regulation (EU) No 581/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on amending Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 introducing autonomous trade preferences for the Republic of Moldova (OJ L 165, 24.6.2011, p. 5).


    ANNEX

    PRODUCTS SUBMITTED TO QUANTITATIVE LIMITS OR PRICE THRESHOLDS

    1.   Products subject to annual duty free tariff quotas

    Order No

    CN Code

    Description

    2013 (1)

    2014 (1)

    2015 (1)

    09.0504

    0201 to 0204

    Fresh, chilled and frozen meat of bovine animals, swine and sheep and goats

    4 000  (2)

    4 000  (2)

    4 000  (2)

    09.0505

    ex 0207

    Meat and edible offal of the poultry of heading 0105 , fresh, chilled or frozen, other than fatty livers of subheading 0207 34

    500  (2)

    500  (2)

    500  (2)

    09.0506

    ex 0210

    Meat and edible meat offal of swine and bovine animals, salted, in brine, dried or smoked; edible flours and meals of meat or meat offals of domestic swine and bovine animals

    500  (2)

    500  (2)

    500  (2)

    09.4210

    0401 to 0406

    Dairy products

    1 500  (2)

    1 500  (2)

    1 500  (2)

    09.0507

    0407 00

    Birds’ eggs, in shell

    120  (3)

    120  (3)

    120  (3)

    09.0508

    ex 0408

    Bird’s eggs, not in shell and egg yolks, other than unfit for human consumption

    300  (2)

    300  (2)

    300  (2)

    09.0509

    1001 90 91

    1001 90 99

    Other Spelt (other than spelt for sowing), common wheat and meslin

    55 000  (2)

    60 000  (2)

    65 000  (2)

    09.0510

    1003 00 90

    Barley

    50 000  (2)

    55 000  (2)

    60 000  (2)

    09.0511

    1005 90

    Maize

    45 000  (2)

    50 000  (2)

    55 000  (2)

    09.0512

    1601 00 91

    and

    1601 00 99

    Sausages and similar products, of meat, meat offal or blood; food preparations based on these products

    600  (2)

    600  (2)

    600  (2)

    ex 1602

    Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood:

    of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus, uncooked,

    of domestic swine,

    of bovine animals, uncooked

    09.0513

    1701 99 10

    White Sugar

    34 000  (2)

    34 000  (2)

    34 000  (2)


    2.   Products for which the ad valorem component of the import duty is exempted

    CN Code

    Description

    0702

    Tomatoes, fresh or chilled

    0703 20

    Garlic, fresh or chilled

    0707

    Cucumbers and gherkins, fresh or chilled

    0709 90 70

    Courgettes, fresh or chilled

    0709 90 80

    Globe artichokes

    0806

    Grapes, fresh or dried

    0808 10

    Apples, fresh

    0808 20

    Pears and quinces

    0809 10

    Apricots

    0809 20

    Cherries

    0809 30

    Peaches, including nectarines

    0809 40

    Plums and sloes


    (1)  From 1 January until 31 December.

    (2)  Tonnes (net weight).

    (3)  Million units.


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