Memorandum of Understanding with the United States on meat imports

10.3.2017

Question for written answer E-001662-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Miguel Viegas (GUE/NGL)

In 2009, the Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States to settle a dispute lodged by the US against the EU concerning the EU’s ban on imports of meat produced using growth hormones. The ban was condemned in 1999 by the WTO. Once the Memorandum was signed, the United States stopped imposing customs duties on a number of EU processed products (the 1999 list included sausages, cheeses, etc.).

The Memorandum included an import quota of 45 000 tonnes of meat not treated with growth hormones open to third countries.

Currently, owing to competition from other countries, the United States makes up only 35% of the quota. Under pressure from domestic operators, the United States has recently threatened to withdraw from the Memorandum. At the same time as they announced their potential withdrawal, the US authorities published a list of products that may become subject to higher customs tariffs. It seems to be even more extensive than the 1999 list.

Can the Commission confirm the above information and whether the 2009 Memorandum of Understanding negotiations can be reopened? Can the Commission provide the list of products referred to above? And how could the negotiation process on the quotas of beef imports be reopened?