Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2019)606 - EU position in the Association Committee in Trade configuration - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2019)606 - EU position in the Association Committee in Trade configuration. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2019)606  |
| date | 27-11-2019 |
1. Subject matter of the proposal
This proposal concerns the decision establishing the position to be taken on the Union's behalf in the EU-Moldova Association Committee in Trade configuration in connection with the envisaged adoption of a decision updating Annex XV of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement.
2. Context of the proposal
2.1.The Association Agreement
The Association Agreement between the European union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Members States, on the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, on the other part (‘the Agreement’) establishes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (‘DCFTA’) which aims to establish conditions for enhanced economic and trade relations. This includes the progressive reduction or elimination of custom duties on goods traded between both Parties. The Agreement entered fully into force on 1 July 2016.
2.2.The Association Committee in Trade configuration
The Association Committee in Trade configuration was established in Article 438 i of the Agreement and performs the tasks conferred upon it under Title V of the Agreement, i.e. Trade and Trade-related matters. By decision 3/2014 of the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Council, of 16 December 2014, the Association Council delegated the power to update or amend the Annexes to the Agreement that relate to Chapters 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8 of Title V (Trade and Trade-related Matters) of the Agreement to the Association Committee in Trade configuration.
2.3.The envisaged act of the Association Committee in Trade configuration
Article 147 of the Agreement provides that the Parties shall examine, in the Association Committee in Trade configuration, on an appropriate reciprocal basis, the opportunities for granting each other further concessions with a view to improving liberalisation of trade in agricultural products, in particular those subject to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs). More concretely, Article 147(5) foresees such review during the third year after the entry into force of the Agreement. Furthermore, Article 148(5) foresees the possibility for the Association Committee in Trade configuration to amend, by mutual consent, the trigger volumes of the products subject to the anti-circumvention mechanism (Annex XV-C).
“Decision No …/… of the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Committee in Trade configuration of … 20… updating Annex XV to the Agreement” (‘the envisaged act’), is expected to be adopted by the Association Committee in Trade configuration by written procedure, as provided for in Article 11 of Annex II of Decision No 1/2014 of the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Council, of 16 December 2014, adopting its Rules of Procedure and those of the Association Committee and of subcommittees.
The purpose of the envisaged act is to amend Annex XV of the Agreement (“Elimination of customs duties”) in line with the results of the negotiations between the European Commission and the Republic of Moldova, which were initiated at the request of the Republic of Moldova in the framework of the above mentioned review.
3. Position to be taken on the Union's behalf
The position to be adopted on behalf of the Union aims at modifying Annex XV of the Agreement, in line with the results of the negotiations between the European Commission and the Republic of Moldova.
Pursuant to the provisions of Article 147 i and 148(5) of the Agreement, the results of the negotiation will be formalized through a Decision of the EU-Moldova Association Committee on Trade configuration. According to the procedure foreseen in Article 218(9) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’), the Commission will present a proposal to the Council, which shall adopt a decision establishing the position to be adopted on the Union's behalf in the above-mentioned committee.
The following tables summarize the proposed amendments:
Table 1 – Amendments to Annex XV-A (TRQs for Moldovan exports into the EU)
| Product (CN code) | Current (tonnes) | New (tonnes) |
| Table grapes, fresh (08061010) | 10 000 | 20 000 |
| Plums, fresh (08094005) | 10 000 | 15 000 |
| Cherries (excl. sour cherries), fresh (08092900)* | Non existing | 1 500 |
* In Annex XV-B, in the list of products subject to entry price, the line with CN code 2012 0809 29 00 and product description “Cherries (excl. sour cherries), fresh” shall be deleted.
Table 2 – Amendments to Annex XV-C (trigger volumes of the anti-circumvention mechanism for Moldovan exports into the EU)
| Product category | Current (tonnes) | New (tonnes) |
| 6. Wheat, flour and pellets | 75 000 | 150 000 |
| 7. Barley, flour and pellets | 70 000 | 100 000 |
| 8. Maize, flour and pellets | 130 000 | 250 000 |
| 10. Cereal processed | 2 500 | 5 000 |
Table 3 – Amendments to Annex XV-D (TRQs for EU exports into Moldova – Gradual phasing-in)
| TRQ (product category) | Current | New |
| TRQ 1 (Pork) | 4 000 | 5 500 (4 500/5 000/5 500) |
| TRQ 2 (Poultry) | 4 000 | 6 000 (5 000/5 500/6 000) |
| TRQ 3 (Dairy) | 1 000 | 2 000 (1 500/2 000) |
| TRQ 5 (Sugar) | 5 400 | 9 000 (7 000/8 000/9 000) |
This agreement should be seen in the broader context of the European Council Conclusions of 20 June 2019, by which the European Commission was invited to work on a set of concrete measures to support the Republic of Moldova, based on its sustained implementation of reforms under the Agreement / DCFTA.
The Commission presented the result of the negotiations at the Trade Policy Committee on 19 July 2019 and on 6 September 2019.
4. Legal basis
4.1.Procedural legal basis
4.1.1.Principles
Article 218(9) TFEU provides for decisions establishing ‘the positions to be adopted on the Union’s behalf in a body set up by an agreement, when that body is called upon to adopt acts having legal effects, with the exception of acts supplementing or amending the institutional framework of the agreement.’
The concept of ‘acts having legal effects’ includes acts that have legal effects by virtue of the rules of international law governing the body in question. It also includes instruments that do not have a binding effect under international law, but that are ‘capable of decisively influencing the content of the legislation adopted by the EU legislature’ 1 .
4.1.2.Application to the present case
The Association Committee in Trade configuration is a body set up by the Agreement. The act, which the Association Committee in Trade configuration is called upon to adopt, constitutes an act having legal effects. The envisaged act will be binding under international law in accordance with Article 438(3) of the Agreement. The envisaged act does not supplement or amend the institutional framework of the Agreement.
Therefore, the procedural legal basis for the proposed decision is Article 218(9) TFEU.
4.2.Substantive legal basis
4.2.1.Principles
The substantive legal basis for a decision under Article 218(9) TFEU depends primarily on the objective and content of the envisaged act in respect of which a position is taken on the Union's behalf. If the envisaged act pursues two aims or has two components and if one of those aims or components is identifiable as the main one, whereas the other is merely incidental, the decision under Article 218(9) TFEU must be founded on a single substantive legal basis, namely that required by the main or predominant aim or component.
4.2.2.Application to the present case
The objective and content of the envisaged act relate to the common commercial policy. Therefore, the substantive legal basis of the proposed decision is Article 207 TFEU.
4.3.Conclusion
The legal basis of the proposed decision should be Article 207 i first subparagraph TFEU, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof.
5. Publication of the envisaged act
As the act of the Association Committee in Trade configuration will amend the Annex XV of the Agreement, it is appropriate to publish it in the Official Journal of the European Union after its adoption.