EU/China Agreement: modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the EU

2012/0304(NLE)

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the People’s Republic of China 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 schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: on 29 January 2007, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations under Article XXIV:6 of GATT 1994. The Commission has therefore negotiated with the Members of the WTO holding negotiating rights with respect to the withdrawal of specific concessions in relation to the withdrawal of the schedules of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, in the course of their accession to the European Union.

The negotiations were successfully conducted by the Commission within the framework of the negotiating directives and an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and China 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 schedules of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union was initialled on 31 May 2012.

The Agreement was signed on behalf of the European Union subject to its conclusion at a later date, in accordance with a Council Decision.

It is now appropriate to approve the agreement on behalf of the EU.

CONTENT: under this proposal, it is envisaged to ask the Council to adopt a decision on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the People’s Republic of China 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 schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

To recap, the Agreement provides for a series of tariff concessions to China on a range of foodstuffs.

For further information about the provisions of the draft agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters, refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal dated 07/11/2012.