The Committee on Fisheries adopted, in the framework of a special legislative procedure (consultation of Parliament) the report by Gabriel MATO ADROVER (EPP, ES) on the proposal for a Council regulation opening and providing for the administration of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands from 2014 to 2020
The committee approved the commission proposal without amendment.
The Canary Islands are one of the outermost regions. The exceptional geographical situation of the Canary Islands in relation to the sources of supply of certain fishery products which are essential for domestic consumption entails additional costs for this sector.
It was recalled that, since 1991, the European Union has suspended partially or in full the Common Custom Tariff duties on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands. Council Regulation (EC) No 645/2008 provided for the administration of two duty-free tariff quotas for imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands for the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013. Unless these measures are extended, they will thus cease to apply as from 1 January 2014.
The opening of similar quotas would be justified because they would cover the needs of the Canary Islands' domestic market, while ensuring that flows of reduced-duty imports into the Union remain predictable and clearly identifiable.
In the light of the consultation of interested parties and the formal request submitted by the Spanish authorities, Members considered it appropriate to extend the existing duty-free tariff quotas on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands for the period 2014-2020.