The European Parliament adopted by 599 votes to 23, with 9 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on imports of rice originating in Bangladesh.
The vote on the legislative resolution was postponed and the report was referred back to the committee at the 10 December 2013 plenary session.
Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of an agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council. They amended the proposal as follows:
Right to a decent income: it is suggested that this Regulation should be based on the recognition of the right of small farmers and rural workers to a decent income and to a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental objective of trade preferences that are granted to developing countries and the least-developed countries in particular.
In this respect, a new recital has been introduced stressing that this Regulation should be consistent with the objectives of the Union policy in the field of development cooperation as set out in Article 208 TFEU, in particular the eradication of poverty and the promotion of sustainable development and good governance in developing countries.
Scope: this Regulation should establish a preferential import arrangement for imports of rice originating in Bangladesh within the limit of 4 000 tonnes of husked rice per calendar year.
The Commission should adopt an implementing act suspending the application of the preferential import arrangement for imports of rice originating in Bangladesh once it ascertains that, during the year in progress, imports qualifying under the said arrangement have reached the quantity indicated, pursuant to the committee procedure under this Regulation.
Delegated powers: in order to ensure the reliability and the efficiency of the preferential import arrangement, the Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts laying down rules making the participation in the preferential import arrangement established in Article 1 conditional upon the lodging of a security.
The power to adopt delegated acts should be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years. The Commission should draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the five-year period. The delegation of power should be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension not later than three months before the end of each period.
Committee procedure: a provision on the committee procedure has been introduced. The Commission should be assisted by Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets. That Committee should be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.
Commission statement on delegated acts: in a unilateral statement, the Commission recalled its commitment to provide the Parliament with full information and documentation on its meetings with national experts within the framework of its work on the preparation of delegated acts.