Canary Islands: autonomous tariff quotas for imports of certain fishery products 2014-2020

CONTENT: to maintain the autonomous tariff quotas of the Union on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands for a new period of seven years, i.e. from 2014 to 2020.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Regulation (EU) No 1412/2013 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Union tariff quotas for imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands from 2014 to 2020.

CONTENT: the exceptional geographical situation of the Canary Islands in relation to the sources of supply of fishery products which are essential for domestic consumption entails costs that are a severe burden for this sector.

This is why the Spanish government made a request for the prolongation of the measures under Council Regulation (EC) No 645/2008 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013.

In September 2012, Spain requested the extension of Union tariff quotas for imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands. Tariff quotas similar to those opened pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 645/2008 for certain fishery products are justified as 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.

Therefore, with the aim of giving a long-term perspective to economic operators to reach a level of activity which stabilises the economic and social environment of the Canary Islands, this Regulation extends, for an additional period of seven years (2014-2020), the autonomous tariff quota regime of the Common Customs Tariff duties for the goods listed in the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 645/2008.

Measures are envisaged to ensure that:

• the suspension shall be granted exclusively for fishery products intended for the Canary Islands' domestic market;
• the Commission is kept regularly informed of the volume of imports in question so that, if necessary, it can take steps to prevent any speculative movement or deflection of trade.

Where the Commission has reasons to believe that the suspensions laid down pursuant to this Regulation have led to a deflection of trade for a specific product, it may adopt implementing acts, temporarily withdrawing the suspension for a period not exceeding 12 months.

By 30 June 2019, the Commission shall examine the impact of the measures and, on the basis of its findings, submit any relevant proposals for the period after 31 December 2020.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 31.12.2013. It shall apply from 1 January 2014 until 31 December 2020.