REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision amending Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union ('Overseas Association Decision')

18.11.2019 - (COM(2019)0359 – C9‑0118/2019 – 2019/0162(CNS)) - *

Committee on Development
Rapporteur: Tomas Tobé
(Simplified procedure – Rule 52(1) of the Rules of Procedure)

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a Council decision amending Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union ('Overseas Association Decision')

(COM(2019)0359 – C9‑0118/2019 – 2019/0162(CNS))

(Special legislative procedure – consultation)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2019)0359),

– having regard to Article 203 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C9‑0118/2019),

– having regard to Rule 82 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Development (A9-0033/2019),

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. Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to substantially amend the text approved by Parliament;

4. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Overseas Association Decision (OAD) establishes the legal framework for the relations between Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), the Member States to which they are linked, and the European Union.

 

The objective of the proposal is to amend Annex VI of the OAD. This Annex defines the concept of "originating products" and methods of administrative cooperation between the EU and the OCTs. It contains provisions aiming to implement a system of origin certification as of 1 January 2017, the Registered Exporters (REX) system, but for which OCTs benefit from a waiver until 31 December 2019.

 

On 10 March 2015, by Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2015/428, the Commission amended the rules of origin dealing with the REX system of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) established by Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93.

 

On 24 November 2015, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/24475, where all the general rules for implementing the Union Customs Code, among which the provisions dealing with the REX system of the GSP, have been transferred.

 

As a result, the provisions in Annex VI to the OAD on the ‘procedures for the registered exporter system’ differ from those in the GSP rules of origin. 

Annex VI of the OAD should therefore be amended in order to ensure compatibility with the provisions on the REX system laid down in Regulation (EU) 2015/2447 and to ensure its deployment and implementation by the OCTs as from 1 January 2020.

Considering that this measure is justifiable, the Chair proposes that  this proposal be adopted without amendment, in accordance with Rule 52 of the Rules of Procedure.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	Council decision amending Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union (’Overseas Association Decision’)
References	COM(2019)0359 – C9-0118/2019 – 2019/0162(CNS)
Date of consulting Parliament	11.9.2019
Committee responsible  Date announced in plenary	DEVE 19.9.2019
Rapporteurs  Date appointed	Tomas Tobé 8.10.2019
Simplified procedure - date of decision	8.10.2019
Discussed in committee	8.10.2019	6.11.2019
Date adopted	6.11.2019
Date tabled	18.11.2019