RECOMMENDATION  on the draft Council decision on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the Union and Cuba relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the Union and Cuba relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union

(10637/2020 – C9‑0097/2021 – 2020/0233(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the draft Council decision (10637/2020),

– having regard to the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the Union and Cuba relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union (10638/20),

– having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 207(4), first subparagraph, and Article 218(6), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C9-0097/2021),

– having regard to Rule 105(1) and (4), and Rule 114(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on International Trade (A9-0129/2021),

1. Gives its consent to the conclusion of the agreement between the Union and Cuba relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union;

2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

In October 2018 the EU formally launched the negotiations process (under Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994) with a number of WTO Members in Geneva. The underlying principle of the negotiations is a “joint approach” developed between the EU and the UK back in 2017 on how to “apportion” the quantitative commitments contained in the EU28 WTO schedule for the 143 EU agricultural, fish and industrial WTO tariff-rate quotas (TRQs). The basis of this approach is that the existing volume of each TRQ would be fully maintained in the future, but split across two separate customs territories: the EU27 and the UK.

The principle of the applied methodology is based on the trade flows into the EU27 and the UK during a representative reference period for all WTO TRQs.

On 15 June 2018 the Council authorized the Commission to launch negotiations under Article XXVIII GATT with the relevant WTO Members with a view to apportioning the Union's WTO concessions on TRQs.

The agreed methodology of the apportionment is described in detail in the Council and EP Regulation (EU) 2019/216. More specifically, Article 2b) of this Regulation empowers the Commission to amend the apportionment shares taking into account pertinent information that it may receive either in the context of negotiations under Article XXVIII of GATT 1994 or from other sources with an interest in a specific tariff rate quota .

The Council (Trade Policy Committee) has been regularly consulted on the content and advancement of the negotiations. Negotiations with Cuba resulted in an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters that was initialled on 3 July 2020 in Geneva ("the Agreement").

Consequently, the European Commission proposes to the Council to authorize the signature of the Agreement, subject to its conclusion at a later stage.

 

In accordance with Article 218(6) TFEU, the consent of the European Parliament is needed in order for the Council to adopt a decision concluding the Agreement.

In the light of the above, the Rapporteur recommends that the Parliament give its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement.

 

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

 

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

 

 

 

Key:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstentions