PURPOSE: to approve the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and China in the context of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute settlement procedure concerning case DS492 - Measures affecting tariff concessions on certain poultry meat products.
NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2019/143 on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the People's Republic of China in connection with DS492 European Union Measures affecting Tariff Concessions on Certain Poultry Meat Products.
CONTENT: the Council approved, on behalf of the Union, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and China concerning the case DS492 European Union - Measures affecting tariff concessions on certain poultrymeat products, on the other hand.
The Agreement was signed, on behalf of the Union on 30 November 2018, subject to its conclusion at a later date. Under the Agreement, the European Union opens the following tariff quotas:
- a tariff rate quota of 6060 tonnes for the tariff line 1602.3929 with specific country allocation of 6000 tonnes to China and 60 tonnes to all others, having an in-quota duty rate of 10.9%;
- a tariff rate quota of 660 tonnes for the tariff line 1602.3985 with specific country allocation of 600 tonnes to China and 60 tonnes to all others, having an in-quota duty rate of 10.9%;
- an erga omnes tariff rate quota of 5000 tonnes for the tariff line 1602.3219 with an in-quota duty rate of 8%.
After opening of the TRQs, the European Union and China shall notify this Agreement to the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) as a mutually agreed solution under Article 3.6 of the DSU in relation to DS492 European Union Measures affecting Tariff Concessions on Certain Poultry Meat Products.
On this basis, China confirms that, with regard to DS492, it will neither request initiation of procedures pursuant to the DSU nor request suspension of concessions or other obligations pursuant to DSU, as long as the European Union is in compliance with all of its obligations under this Agreement.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 28.1.2019.