RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of the Republic of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union

19.7.2016 - (06870/2016 – C8‑0235/2016 – 2016/0058(NLE)) - ***

Committee on International Trade
Rapporteur: Pablo Zalba Bidegain

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of the Republic of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union

(06870/2016 – C8‑0235/2016 – 2016/0058(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the draft Council decision (06870/2016),

–  having regard to the draft Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of the Republic of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union (06871/2016),

–  having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 207(4) and point (a)(v) of the second subparagraph of Article 218(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C8‑0235/2016),

–  having regard to Rule 99(1), first and third subparagraphs, Rule 99(2), and Rule 108(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on International Trade (A8-0241/2016),

1.  Gives its consent to conclusion of the agreement;

2.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The Rapporteur considers that the European Parliament should grant its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994, relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of the Republic of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union.

With the accession of the Republic of Croatia, the EU enlarged its customs union and was therefore required under WTO rules (Article XXIV:6 of the GATT 1994) to enter into negotiations to the Eastern Republic of Uruguay regarding the tariff schedule of Croatia in order to eventually agree on a compensatory adjustment as the EU's external tariff regime results in an increase of tariffs.

Negotiations with Uruguay resulted in a draft Agreement initialled on 18 December 2015 in Nairobi. A proposal on the signature of this Agreement was also submitted and the Council Decision on signing took place on 11 April 2016.

The EU will incorporate in its schedule for the customs territory of the EU 28 that of the EU 27 with modifications related to tariff rate quotas on bovine meat. In connection to the Agreement, the European Commission is also preparing an implementing Regulation regarding several tariff rate quotas.

The European Parliament's consent to this Council Decision is a mandatory component in the completion of the ratification process of the Additional Protocol.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of the Republic of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union
References	06870/2016 – C8-0235/2016 – COM(2016)0103 – 2016/0058(NLE)
Date of consultation / request for consent	22.6.2016
Committee responsible        Date announced in plenary	INTA 4.7.2016
Committees asked for opinions        Date announced in plenary	AFET 4.7.2016
Not delivering opinions        Date of decision	AFET 15.3.2016
Rapporteurs        Date appointed	Pablo Zalba Bidegain 20.4.2016
Discussed in committee	16.6.2016
Date adopted	14.7.2016
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	31 0 2
Members present for the final vote	William (The Earl of) Dartmouth, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Maria Arena, Karoline Graswander-Hainz, Yannick Jadot, Ska Keller, Jude Kirton-Darling, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Bernd Lange, Emmanuel Maurel, Anne-Marie Mineur, Sorin Moisă, Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández, Marietje Schaake, Helmut Scholz, Joachim Schuster, Joachim Starbatty, Iuliu Winkler, Jan Zahradil
Substitutes present for the final vote	Reimer Böge, Victor Boştinaru, Klaus Buchner, Seán Kelly, Gabriel Mato, Bolesław G. Piecha, Pedro Silva Pereira, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Wim van de Camp, Jarosław Wałęsa, Pablo Zalba Bidegain
Substitutes under Rule 200(2) present for the final vote	Mara Bizzotto, Jozo Radoš, Dariusz Rosati, Paul Rübig, Mylène Troszczynski
Date tabled	19.7.2016