Stabilisation mechanism for bananas
Article 15
1. For bananas originating in Colombia or Peru falling under heading 0803 00 19 of the Combined Nomenclature (fresh Bananas, excluding plantains) and listed under the staging category ‘BA’ in the Tariff Elimination Schedule, a stabilisation mechanism shall apply until 31 December 2019. 2. A separate annual trigger import volume is set for imports of products referred to in paragraph 1, as indicated in the second and third columns of the table in the Annex. Once the trigger volume for either Colombia or Peru is met during the corresponding calendar year, the Commission shall, in accordance with the urgency procedure referred to in Article 14(4), adopt an implementing act by which it may either temporarily suspend the preferential customs duty applied to products of the corresponding origin during that same year for a period of time not exceeding three months, and not going beyond the end of the calendar year or determine that such suspension is not appropriate. 3. When deciding whether measures should be applied pursuant to paragraph 2, the Commission shall take into consideration the impact of the imports concerned on the situation of the Union market for bananas. That examination shall include factors such as: effect of the imports concerned on the Union price level, development of imports from other sources, overall stability of the Union market. 4. Where the Commission decides to suspend the preferential customs duty applicable, it shall apply the lesser of the base rate of customs duty or the MFN rate of duty in application at the time such action is taken. 5. Where the Commission applies the actions referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4, it shall immediately enter into consultations with the affected country or countries to analyse and evaluate the situation on the basis of available factual data. 6. The application of the stabilisation mechanism for bananas set out in this Chapter is without prejudice to the application of any measures defined in Chapter I. Measures taken pursuant to the provisions of both chapters shall not, however, be applied simultaneously. 7. The measures referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 shall be applicable only during the period ending on 31 December 2019.