An agreement in principle was reached this week to increase the US share of an existing tariff quota of 45,000 tonnes of high quality beef.
“We can confirm that the European Union and the United States have reached an agreement in principle on US concerns regarding the implementation of the EU-US Memorandum of Understanding on imports into the EU of beef not treated with hormones”, a Commission spokesman told EUROPE on Friday 15 March.
The mutually agreed way forward includes an allocation of the quota volume specifically to the United States (see EUROPE 12124/19). Launched on 23 October 2018, the talks reportedly resulted in the allocation of 35,000 tonnes of the existing 45,000-tonne tariff quota to Washington, with a phased implementation.
The draft agreement in principle was sent by the Commission to the European Parliament and the Member States, which are now invited to endorse this approach, the spokesman added. The latter will ratify the agreement in principle on Wednesday 20 March at a meeting of the EU Council's Trade Policy Committee (TPC).
For the European Commission, the next step will be to consult stakeholders, namely Uruguay, Argentina and Australia, which currently share about 60% of the existing quota. Uruguayans have reportedly already expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the transatlantic talks.
After that, the dossier will go back to the EU Council, so that the Member States can formalise the agreement via the procedure for international agreements.
In 2009, this quota was created in response to a long dispute between Washington and the EU over the European refusal to allow American beef containing hormones to enter Europe. A memorandum opened an import tariff quota of 45,000 tonnes of hormone-free beef that was accessible, under World Trade Organization rules, not only to the United States, but also to other supplier countries such as Australia, Uruguay and Argentina. In the end, these latter obtained the largest share.
The outcome of these negotiations comes at a timely moment for the European Union, as Washington once again threatens to impose tariff sanctions on imports of European cars (see EUROPE 12214/4). (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)