The European Parliament adopted by 523 votes to 39, with 102 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the tariff treatment for goods originating from Ecuador.
Parliament adopted its position at first reading without making amendments to the Commission proposal.
On 17 July 2014 the negotiations were concluded with Ecuador for its accession to the Trade Agreement concluded between the EU and Colombia/Peru. As a result of these negotiations, a Protocol of Accession by Ecuador to the Agreement was initialled between the parties.
In order to avoid unnecessary trade disruption until the provisional application of this Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Ecuador, the proposal aims to ensure that customs duties applied on the date of initialling of the Protocol of Accession of Ecuador to the EU-Colombia/Peru Free Trade Agreement are not increased and that no new customs duties are applied on products originating in Ecuador. To this end, the proposed Regulation provides for the maintenance of the level of duty rates that were applicable to and by Ecuador on the date of initialling of the Protocol of Accession.
The proposed Regulation will apply as of 1 January 2015 and until six months after the Protocol of Accession enters into force (or, where appropriate, is applied provisionally), or until 31 December 2016, whichever occurs first.