Regulation (EU) 2015/756 of the European Parliament and of the Council

of 29 April 2015

suspending certain concessions relating to the import into the Union of agricultural products originating in Turkey

(codification)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee1,
Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure2,

Whereas:

(1)
Council Regulation (EC) No 1506/983 has been substantially amended4. In the interests of clarity and rationality, that Regulation should be codified.
(2)
Under the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Economic Community and Turkey5 (‘the Agreement’) concessions were granted to that country in respect of certain agricultural products.
(3)
Decision No 1/98 of the EC-Turkey Association Council6 provides for the improvement and consolidation of trade preferences relating to the import into the Union of agricultural products originating in Turkey and establishes a series of preferential concessions for Union exports of meat and live animals to Turkey.
(4)

Turkey has since 1996 been applying a ban on the import of live animals of the bovine species (CN code 0102) and restrictions on the import of beef (CN codes 0201-0202). Those measures, being quantitative restrictions, are incompatible with the Agreement and prevent the Union from benefiting from the concessions granted to it under Decision No 1/98. Despite talks intended to achieve a negotiated solution with Turkey to the problem, the quantitative restrictions are still in place.

(5)

As a result of those measures, exports to Turkey of the products in question originating in the Union are blocked. In order to protect the Union's commercial interests, the situation should be counterbalanced by means of equivalent measures. The concessions set out in Annex I to this Regulation should therefore be suspended.

(6)
In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council7,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The two tariff quotas set out in Annex I are suspended.

Article 2

The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, terminate the suspension referred to in Article 1 once the barriers to preferential exports from the Union to Turkey have been lifted. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 3(2).

Article 3

1.

The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets established by Article 229 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council8. That Committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.

2.

Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.

3.

Where the opinion of the Committee is to be obtained by written procedure, that procedure shall be terminated without result when, within the time limit for delivery of the opinion, the chair of the Committee so decides or at least a quarter of committee members so request.

Article 4

Regulation (EC) No 1506/98 is repealed.

References to the repealed Regulation shall be construed as references to this Regulation and shall be read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex III.

Article 5

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Strasbourg, 29 April 2015.

For the European Parliament

The President

M. Schulz

For the Council

The President

Z. Kalniņa-Lukaševica

ANNEX I

Serial No

CN code

Description of goods

Size of quota per year or per period indicated (tonnes)

Rate of duty applicable

09.0217

ex 0807 11 00

Watermelons, fresh:

14 000

Free

from 16 June to 31 March

09.0207

2002 90 31

Tomatoes prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, other than whole or in pieces, with a dry matter content of 12 % or more by weight

30 000 with a dry matter content of 28-30 % by weight

Free

09.0209

2002 90 39

2002 90 91

2002 90 99

ANNEX IIRepealed Regulation with the amendment thereto

Council Regulation (EC) No 1506/98

(OJ L 200, 16.7.1998, p. 1).

Regulation (EU) No 255/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(OJ L 84, 20.3.2014, p. 57).

Article 3 only

ANNEX IIICorrelation Table

Regulation (EC) No 1506/98

This Regulation

Article 1

Article 2

Article 1

Article 3

Article 2

Article 3a

Article 3

Article 4

Article 4

Article 5

Annex I

Annex II

Annex I

Annex II

Annex III