RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Federative Republic of Brazil pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union

2.5.2023 - (15053/2022) – C9‑0014/2023 – 2022/0377(NLE)) - ***

Committee on International Trade
Rapporteur: Jordi Cañas

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Federative Republic of Brazil pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union

(15053/2022) – C9‑0014/2023 – 2022/0377(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the draft Council decision (15053/2022),

– having regard to the draft Agreement between the European Union and the Federative Republic of Brazil pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union (15054/2022),

– having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Articles 207(4) first subparagraph and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C9‑0014/2023),

– having regard to Rule 105(1) and (4) and Rule 114(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on International Trade (A9-0171/2023),

1. Gives its consent to the 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 Federative Republic of Brazil.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

In view of the United Kingdom's (UK) withdrawal from the European Union (EU), in October 2018, the EU formally launched negotiations under Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 with a number of Members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the Federative Republic of Brazil (Brazil). The underlying principle of the negotiations is a “joint approach” developed between the EU and the UK in 2017 on how to “apportion” the quantitative commitments contained in the EU28 WTO schedule for the 143 EU agricultural, fish and industrial WTO tariff rate quotas (TRQs). The basis of this approach is that the existing volume of each TRQ would be fully maintained after the UK's withdrawal from the EU, but split across two separate customs territories: the EU27 and the UK.

 

The agreed methodology of the apportionment is described in detail in Regulation (EU) 2019/216 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

 

Brazil has negotiating rights for 31 TRQs and consultation rights for 21 TRQs. For the majority of the TRQs where Brazil is concerned, the original EU proposed apportioned volumes were accepted by Brazil. Changes of volumes (based on a different reference period requested by Brazil) were agreed in the tariff rate quotas concerning poultry, sugar, broken rice, food preparations, fruit juices, animal feeding. Beef TRQ and plywood TRQ have also been adjusted.

 

In accordance with Article 218(6) TFEU, the consent of the European Parliament is needed in order for the Council to adopt a decision concluding the Agreement and for the latter to come into force in due time.

 

In the light of the above, the Rapporteur recommends that the Parliament give its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement, without prejudice to its democratic right of continuous scrutiny.

 

ANNEX I: LETTER FROM AGRI COMMITTEE CHAIR

 

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

The Chair

 

 

Mr Bernd Lange

Chair of the Committee on International Trade ASP 12G301

 

Ref.: IPOL-COM-AGRI D(2023)4419    D 301189 07.02.2023

 

 

Dear Chair,

 

I refer to the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of an agreement between the EU and Brazil on the apportionment of WTO tariff-rate quotas following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union (COM(2022)0634).

 

AGRI Coordinators considered the matter at their meeting of 31 January. They agreed with the conclusion by the EU of the above agreement with Brazil and asked me to convey their opinion to you pursuant to Rule 56.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Norbert Lins

 

 

 

Copy: Mr Martin Hlaváček, AGRI Standing Rapporteur for Brexit related issues

 

 

 

 

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	Agreement between the European Union and the Federative Republic of Brazil relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom`s withdrawal from the European Union
References	15053/2022 – C9-0014/2023 – 2022/0377(NLE)
Date of consultation or request for consent	3.2.2023
Committee responsible  Date announced in plenary	INTA 13.2.2023
Committees asked for opinions  Date announced in plenary	AGRI 13.2.2023
Not delivering opinions  Date of decision	AGRI 31.1.2023
Rapporteurs  Date appointed	Jordi Cañas 30.11.2022
Discussed in committee	21.3.2023
Date adopted	27.4.2023
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	26 1 9
Members present for the final vote	Barry Andrews, Tiziana Beghin, Saskia Bricmont, Jordi Cañas, Raphaël Glucksmann, Markéta Gregorová, Christophe Hansen, Heidi Hautala, Karin Karlsbro, Bernd Lange, Margarida Marques, Emmanuel Maurel, Alessandra Mussolini, Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó, Samira Rafaela, Catharina Rinzema, Inma Rodríguez-Piñero, Katarína Roth Neveďalová, Ernő Schaller-Baross, Helmut Scholz, Dominik Tarczyński, Kathleen Van Brempt, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne
Substitutes present for the final vote	Anna Cavazzini, Andrey Kovatchev, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Liudas Mažylis, Javier Moreno Sánchez
Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote	Pablo Arias Echeverría, Jessica Polfjärd, Elżbieta Rafalska, Evelyn Regner, Bogdan Rzońca, Christine Schneider, Isabella Tovaglieri, Loránt Vincze
Date tabled	2.5.2023

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

26	+
NI	Tiziana Beghin, Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó, Ernő Schaller-Baross
PPE	Pablo Arias Echeverría, Christophe Hansen, Andrey Kovatchev, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Liudas Mažylis, Alessandra Mussolini, Jessica Polfjärd, Christine Schneider, Loránt Vincze
Renew	Barry Andrews, Jordi Cañas, Karin Karlsbro, Samira Rafaela, Catharina Rinzema, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne
S&D	Raphaël Glucksmann, Bernd Lange, Margarida Marques, Javier Moreno Sánchez, Evelyn Regner, Inma Rodríguez-Piñero, Katarína Roth Neveďalová, Kathleen Van Brempt

 

1	-
ID	Isabella Tovaglieri

 

9	0
ECR	Elżbieta Rafalska, Bogdan Rzońca, Dominik Tarczyński
The Left	Emmanuel Maurel, Helmut Scholz
Verts/ALE	Saskia Bricmont, Anna Cavazzini, Markéta Gregorová, Heidi Hautala

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention