Decision 2021/972 - EU position within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the EU request for an extension of the WTO waiver permitting autonomous trade preferences to the Western Balkans - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
Contents
official title
Council Decision (EU) 2021/972 of 14 June 2021 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the European Union request for an extension of the WTO waiver permitting autonomous trade preferences to the Western Balkans| Legal instrument | Decision |
|---|---|
| Number legal act | Decision 2021/972 |
| Original proposal | COM(2021)237  |
| CELEX number i | 32021D0972 |
| Document | 14-06-2021; Date of adoption |
|---|---|
| Publication in Official Journal | 17-06-2021; OJ L 214 p. 66-67 |
| Effect | 14-06-2021; Entry into force Date of document See Art 2 |
| End of validity | 31-12-9999 |
17.6.2021 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
L 214/66 |
COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2021/972
of 14 June 2021
on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the European Union request for an extension of the WTO waiver permitting autonomous trade preferences to the Western Balkans
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1) |
Pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article II of the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (‘WTO Agreement’), the agreements and associated legal instruments included in Annexes 1, 2 and 3 (‘Multilateral Trade Agreements’) thereto, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994), are integral parts of the WTO Agreement, binding on all Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including the Union. |
(2) |
Pursuant to paragraph 1 of Article IV of the WTO Agreement, the WTO may adopt decisions on all matters under any of the Multilateral Trade Agreements. |
(3) |
In accordance with paragraph 3 of Article IX of the WTO Agreement, in exceptional circumstances, the WTO may decide to waive an obligation imposed on a Member by the WTO Agreement or by any of the Multilateral Trade Agreements. |
(4) |
The Union was first granted a waiver of its obligations under paragraph 1 of Article I of GATT 1994 on 8 December 2000 until 31 December 2006, which was last extended on 7 December 2016 until 31 December 2021, to the extent necessary to permit the Union to afford preferential treatment to eligible products originating in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (*), Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). |
(5) |
On 16 December 2020, Regulation (EU) 2020/2172 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) extended further the period of application of autonomous trade preferences to the Western Balkans until 31 December 2025. |
(6) |
In the absence of a waiver of WTO obligations, the Union’s application of autonomous trade preferences to the Western Balkans until 31 December 2025 would need to be extended to all other Members of the WTO. |
(7) |
The request to extend the waiver of WTO obligations under paragraph 1 of Article I and Article XIII of GATT 1994 permitting autonomous trade preferences to the Western Balkans is justified considering the persistent difficult economic situation in the region and that the preferential treatment with regard to eligible products the Union affords those countries is intended to promote economic development in a manner consistent with the objectives of GATT 1994 and not to create barriers for the trade of other WTO Members. |
(8) |
It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on behalf of the Union in the General Council of the WTO, as the extension of the WTO waiver on autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Western Balkans will be binding on Members of the WTO, |
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization shall be to request an extension of the existing WTO waiver on the autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Western Balkans until 31 December 2026 and to support the adoption of that request.
That position shall be expressed by the Commission.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
Done at Luxembourg, 14 June 2021.
For the Council
The President
-
A.MENDES GODINHO
(*) This...
More
This text has been adopted from EUR-Lex.
This dossier is compiled each night drawing from aforementioned sources through automated processes. We have invested a great deal in optimising the programming underlying these processes. However, we cannot guarantee the sources we draw our information from nor the resulting dossier are without fault.
This page is also available in a full version containing the legal context, de Europese rechtsgrond, other dossiers related to the dossier at hand and the related cases of the European Court of Justice.
The full version is available for registered users of the EU Monitor by ANP and PDC Informatie Architectuur.
The EU Monitor enables its users to keep track of the European process of lawmaking, focusing on the relevant dossiers. It automatically signals developments in your chosen topics of interest. Apologies to unregistered users, we can no longer add new users.This service will discontinue in the near future.