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,
Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,
Whereas:
(1)
On 10 May 2010, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with Georgia for the conclusion of an agreement establishing an association between the Union and Georgia.
(2)
Those negotiations have been concluded and the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part (‘the Agreement’) was signed on 27 June 2014 and has been provisionally applied since 1 September 2014.
(3)
It is necessary to lay down the procedures to guarantee the effective application of the anti-circumvention mechanism for the temporary suspension of preferential duties on specific products, provided for in the Agreement.
(4)
This Regulation should provide for the possibility to suspend the preferential duties for a maximum period of six months when the imports of certain agricultural products and processed agricultural products reach the annual import volumes defined in Annex II-C to the Agreement.
(5)
For reasons of transparency, the Commission should submit an annual report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation of the Agreement and the application of the anti-circumvention mechanism.
(6)
In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of the anti-circumvention mechanism provided for in the Agreement, 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 Council.
(7)
The advisory procedure should be used for the adoption of implementing acts for the decision on the suspension of the preferential duties under the anti-circumvention mechanism, given that those acts have to be implemented quickly once the relevant threshold for the categories of products listed in Annex II-C to the Agreement has been reached as they have only a very limited period of application. In order to prevent a negative impact on the Union market as a result of an increase in imports, the Commission should adopt immediately applicable implementing acts where, in duly justified cases, imperative grounds of urgency so require,
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