RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on the protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs

13.7.2017 - (11782/2016 – C8‑0123/2017– 2016/0252(NLE)) - ***

Committee on International Trade
Rapporteur: David Borrelli

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on the protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(11782/2016 – C8‑0123/2017 – 2016/0252(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the draft Council decision (11782/2016),

–  having regard to the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on the protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs (12124/2016),

–  having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 207(4), first subparragraph, Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article 218(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C8‑0123/2017),

–  having regard to Rule 99(1) and (4) and Rule 108(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on International Trade (A8-0254/2017),

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 Iceland.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The EU and Iceland are signatories to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) which provides for the free movement of goods, with the exception of agricultural and fisheries products. Article 19 of the EEA Agreement contains provisions on trade in agricultural products, and the 2007 EU-Iceland bilateral Agreement on trade preferences that the parties negotiated under that article includes a commitment to promote trade in products with geographical indications (GIs).

The EU-Iceland GIs negotiations were conducted from 4 July 2012 to 17 September 2015 in parallel to the EU-Iceland negotiations on further liberalisation of trade in agricultural products. Under the negotiated GI Agreement, 1 150 EU foodstuff GIs, i.e., all EU GI in force at the time of the negotiations, will be protected in Iceland. Iceland has not yet registered any protected GI names but the Agreement provides a mechanism for updating the GIs list and for including new GI names at a later stage through a Joint Committee process. The negotiations of this Agreement implied that Iceland had to adopt a new legislation in the area.

The Agreement does not cover wines, aromatised wine products and spirit drinks as the EEA Agreement already provides for the mutual recognition and protection of GI of these products.

The conclusion of the GIs Agreement with Iceland fits into the overall EU strategy of promoting the production and the consumption of EU products with GIs. The conclusion of this Agreement expresses the interest of both sides to promote and develop trade in quality agricultural products.

Under this Agreement, EU foodstuff GIs will obtain the same level of protection in Iceland as in the rest of the EU. The GIs will be protected against:

•  any direct or indirect commercial use;

•  any misuse, imitation or evocation of the product;

•  any other false or misleading indication as to the provenance, origin, nature or essential qualities of the product;

•  any other practice liable to mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product.

In accordance with Article 218(6) TFEU, 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

Title	Agreement between the EU and Iceland on the protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs
References	11782/2016 – C8-0123/2017 – COM(2016)0523 – 2016/0252(NLE)
Date of consultation / request for consent	29.3.2017
Committee responsible        Date announced in plenary	INTA 6.4.2017
Committees asked for opinions        Date announced in plenary	AGRI 6.4.2017
Not delivering opinions        Date of decision	AGRI 29.9.2016
Rapporteurs        Date appointed	David Borrelli 12.10.2016
Discussed in committee	20.6.2017
Date adopted	11.7.2017
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	37 0 1
Members present for the final vote	William (The Earl of) Dartmouth, Maria Arena, Tiziana Beghin, David Campbell Bannerman, Daniel Caspary, Salvatore Cicu, Santiago Fisas Ayxelà, Eleonora Forenza, Karoline Graswander-Hainz, Heidi Hautala, Yannick Jadot, Jude Kirton-Darling, Bernd Lange, David Martin, Emma McClarkin, Anne-Marie Mineur, Sorin Moisă, Franz Obermayr, Artis Pabriks, Franck Proust, Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández, Tokia Saïfi, Marietje Schaake, Helmut Scholz, Joachim Schuster, Joachim Starbatty, Adam Szejnfeld, Hannu Takkula, Iuliu Winkler
Substitutes present for the final vote	Dita Charanzová, Edouard Ferrand, Agnes Jongerius, Sajjad Karim, Gabriel Mato, Georg Mayer, Fernando Ruas, Jarosław Wałęsa
Date tabled	14.7.2017

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

37	+
ALDE	Dita Charanzová, Marietje Schaake, Hannu Takkula
ECR	David Campbell Bannerman, Sajjad Karim, Emma McClarkin, Joachim Starbatty
EFDD	William (The Earl of) Dartmouth, Tiziana Beghin
ENF	Edouard Ferrand, Georg Mayer, Franz Obermayr
GUE/NGL	Eleonora Forenza, Anne-Marie Mineur, Helmut Scholz
PPE	Daniel Caspary, Salvatore Cicu, Santiago Fisas Ayxelà, Gabriel Mato, Artis Pabriks, Franck Proust, Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Fernando Ruas, Tokia Saïfi, Adam Szejnfeld, Jarosław Wałęsa, Iuliu Winkler
S&D	Maria Arena, Karoline Graswander-Hainz, Agnes Jongerius, Jude Kirton-Darling, Bernd Lange, David Martin, Sorin Moisă, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández, Joachim Schuster
Verts/ALE	Yannick Jadot

0	-

1	0
Verts/ALE	Heidi Hautala

Key to symbols:

+  :  in favour

-  :  against

0  :  abstention