The new export licensing scheme for personal protective equipment (PPE), effective as of Sunday 26 April, is less restrictive and more transparent, the European Commission argues.
“We believe the measures were effective”, said Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, who on Tuesday 21 April defended his regulation to members of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA), “not least in ensuring a uniform approach across the Union, thus largely removing export restrictions and authorisation requirements imposed at the Member State level”, he stressed (see EUROPE 12467/7, 12447/7).
In the course of the discussion, several MEPs had indeed expressed reservations about these trade control measures.
But this new version, drawn up in consultation with the Member States, takes account of the comments made by the INTA Committee in its April letter (see EUROPE 12460/13), the Commissioner stressed. The list of protective equipment subject to authorisation has been reduced, the list of exempted countries has been extended to include the Balkan countries, and the regulation is in line with the humanitarian principles and international solidarity highlighted by Parliament (Member States are required to grant authorisations rapidly for humanitarian purposes).
Finally, the Commission intends to play the role of a “clearing house” so that EU countries will be subject to a Commission information obligation regarding the management of their export authorisations, to facilitate the proper functioning of the internal market.
The regulation, which will only apply for one month, also provides guarantees that the products will not be re-exported.
Since the publication of the first regulation, Germany has lifted its restrictions, but Italy, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Belgium continue to apply restrictions, Mr Hogan specified.
These revised measures were notified to the WTO on 24 April, following the EU’s commitment at the G20 ‘Trade’ meeting to take action to promote transparency for these policies (see EUROPE 12463/8, 12457/13).
Consult the regulation: https://bit.ly/2yClGgP
On the same day, IMF and WTO leaders called on the international community to refrain from imposing any restrictions on the export of essential medical and food supplies. See the statement: https://bit.ly/3bCvJkz (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)