REPORT on the proposal for a Council regulation opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands

3.6.2008 - (COM(2008)0129 – C6‑0153/2008 – 2008/0054(CNS)) - *

Committee on Regional Development
Rapporteur: Gerardo Galeote

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a Council regulation opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands

(COM(2008)0129 – C6‑0153/2008 – 2008/0054(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2008)0129),

–   having regard to Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6‑0153/2008 ),

–   having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development (A6‑0213/2008),

1.  Approves the Commission proposal;

2.  Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

3.  Calls for initiation of the conciliation procedure under the Joint Declaration of 4 March 1975 if the Council intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4.  Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

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

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Since 1991 the European Union has suspended, partially or in full, the Common Customs Tariff duties on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands. The exceptional geographical situation of the Canary Islands in relation to the sources of supply of certain fishery products which are essential for domestic consumption entails additional costs for this sector. This natural handicap can be remedied, inter alia, by temporarily suspending customs duties on imports of the products in question from third countries within Community tariff quotas of an appropriate volume.

The proposal for the opening and provision of duty-free tariff quotas is in line with Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty providing for specific measures to assist the outermost regions.

It is important to mention that the existing provisions in the area of the proposal, Regulation (EC) No 704/2002, expired on 31 December 2006.

In consequence, a juridical gap has existed since 1st January 2007, during which the payments of guarantees at the Spanish customs have been accumulating, reaching amounts that need to be settled as soon as possible.

Consequently, following the consultations with the stakeholders and the formal request introduced by the Spanish authorities, it should be agreed to open two duty-free tariff quotas on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands for the period 2007-2013.

PROCEDURE

Title	Autonomous Community tariff quotas on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands
References	COM(2008)0129 – C6-0153/2008 – 2008/0054(CNS)
Date of consulting Parliament	4.4.2008
Committee responsible        Date announced in plenary	REGI 10.4.2008
Committee asked for opinion        Date announced in plenary	PECH 10.4.2008
Not delivering opinions        Date of decision	PECH 16.4.2008
Rapporteur        Date appointed	Gerardo Galeote 8.4.2008
Discussed in committee	28.5.2008
Date adopted	29.5.2008
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	41 2 4
Members present for the final vote	Emmanouil Angelakas, Stavros Arnaoutakis, Jean Marie Beaupuy, Rolf Berend, Jana Bobošíková, Victor Boştinaru, Wolfgang Bulfon, Bairbre de Brún, Gerardo Galeote, Iratxe García Pérez, Eugenijus Gentvilas, Zita Gurmai, Gábor Harangozó, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski, Tunne Kelam, Evgeni Kirilov, Constanze Angela Krehl, Florencio Luque Aguilar, Sérgio Marques, Jan Olbrycht, Markus Pieper, Wojciech Roszkowski, Elisabeth Schroedter, Grażyna Staniszewska, Catherine Stihler, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, Lambert van Nistelrooij, Oldřich Vlasák
Substitutes present for the final vote	Bernadette Bourzai, Jan Březina, Den Dover, Emanuel Jardim Fernandes, Fernando Fernández Martín, Francesco Ferrari, Louis Grech, Ramona Nicole Mănescu, Francisca Pleguezuelos Aguilar, Zita Pleštinská, Samuli Pohjamo, Christa Prets, Jürgen Schröder, Richard Seeber, Bart Staes, László Surján, Manfred Weber
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote	Manuel Medina Ortega, Nicolae Vlad Popa
Date tabled	3.6.2008