“The European Commission has extensive experience in managing tariff quotas as part of its trade policy mandate, which it exercises on behalf of the Member States”, stated the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, in Luxembourg on Monday 27 April, following concerns expressed by EU countries and MEPs about the arrangements for tariff quotas.
The distribution between European importers, the issuing of import licences and the monitoring of imports are all governed by European Union rules and carried out exclusively by the European authorities, added Mr Hansen to the press, following the meeting of European agriculture ministers, who took stock of the market situation (see other news).
Import licences are issued in full compliance with EU regulations, ensuring transparency, legal certainty and equal access for all eligible operators. The Mercosur authorities are playing no part in this procedure, the Commissioner assured. As a result, only exporters able to meet all the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary requirements will continue to be authorised to export to the EU. This is a strict condition within the framework of these quotas.
Annie Genevard, the French Minister of Agriculture, spoke about the implementing regulation opening up the management of EU tariff quotas for products originating in Mercosur countries (see EUROPE 13853/8). For France, this text raises many questions about the risk of a monopoly, which could have damaging consequences for European producers. She is asking the Commission what measures it intends to take to contain this risk of creating a monopoly and distorting competition.
Poland’s Minister of Agriculture, Czesław Siekierski, indicated that his country is lodging a complaint with the EU Court of Justice over this trade agreement. Poland is making a number of important points. Among them, the fact that the agreement has been split into a political part and a trade part. It is also insisting on ‘mirror clauses’ to protect Polish and European consumers of sensitive products: beef, ethanol and poultry. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)