FLEGT licensing scheme for imports of timber into the EU: aligning the Regulation with the TFEU (Commission delegated and implementing powers)

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Iuliu WINKLER (EPP, RO) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 on the establishment of a FLEGT licensing scheme for imports of timber into the European Community.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading, following the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

Two amendments were made to a new Article proposed by the Commission  on the exercise of the delegation to reflect the outcome of the trilogue negotiations on the Omnibus I and II files, which aim at aligning a large volume of legislation in the field of the Common Commercial Policy to Articles 290 and 291 TFEU.

·         The first amendment aims at ensuring that the duration of the delegation of powers to the Commission is not indeterminate, but is limited to a period of five years, tacitly extendable by a period of identical duration.

• The second amendment aims at setting the period available to the Parliament to object to a draft delegated act to two months, but with a possibility of a further extension of four rather than two months. In other words, it aims at extending the period of scrutiny by the European Parliament from four months (2+2) to six months (2+4).