Considerations on COM(2017)133 - EU position on the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin with regard to the amendment of Appendix II to that Convention

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dossier COM(2017)133 - EU position on the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin with regard to the amendment ...
document COM(2017)133 EN
date March 21, 2017
 
(1) The Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin 3 (the 'Convention'), which sets out the rules regarding the origin of goods traded in the context of free trade agreements between countries of the pan-Euro Mediterranean area, as well as with countries who are party to the Union's Stabilisation and Association Process, entered into force on 1 January 2012.

(2) Article 1 of Appendix II to the Convention provides that the Contracting Parties may apply, in their bilateral trade, special provisions derogating from the general provisions laid down in Appendix I to that Convention. Those special provisions are laid down in the Annexes to Appendix II.

(3) The Joint Committee set up under the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) to which the Republic of Moldova and the participants in the Union’s Stabilisation and Association Process (hereafter ‘CEFTA Parties’) are Parties, adopted Decision 3/2015 on 26 November 2015, laying down special provisions derogating from the provisions laid down in Appendix I to the Convention.

(4) Decision 3/2015 aims at facilitating trade amongst CEFTA parties by easing the conditions for cumulation laid down in Article 3 of Appendix I to the Convention concerning cumulation of origin and by suppressing the prohibition of drawback of, or exemption from, customs duties laid down in Article 14 of Appendix I to the Convention. These derogation provisions only apply for the purposes of determining the origin of goods in trade between the CEFTA parties.

(5) Those special provisions derogating from those provision laid down in appendix I should be laid down in a new annex on trade covered by the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) involving the Republic of Moldova and the participants in the European Union’s Stabilisation and Association Process which is to be included to Appendix II. Appendix II to the Convention should be amended accordingly.

(6) The position of the Union within the Joint Committee of the Convention should therefore be based on the attached draft Decision.