Council Decision (EU) 2019/1955 of 21 November 2019 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization as regards the adoption of a decision on the review of the Understanding on Tariff Rate Quota Administration Provisions of Agricultural Products (TRQ Understanding)
The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf within the General Council of the World Trade Organization (the ‘General Council of the WTO’) in its December 2019 meeting shall be based on the draft decision by the General Council of the WTO adopting the recommendations made to the General Council of the WTO by the Committee on Agriculture in Annex 2 of its Report No G/AG/29 of 31 October 2019 attached to this Decision.
Minor changes to that draft decision may be agreed to by the representatives of the Union in the General Council of the WTO without further decision of the Council.
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
Supplementary provisions
ANNEX 1Supplementary provisions
ANNEX 1
List of documents
G/AG/W/169
10 October 2017
Monitoring and review of Members’ obligations established under the Bali Decision on TRQ administration.
Note by the Secretariat
G/AG/W/171
9 February 2018
Proposed process for the Review of the Operation of the Bali Decision on TRQ Administration.
Note by the Secretariat
G/AG/W/175
18 May 2018
and
G/AG/W/175/Add.1
7 May 2019
—
European Union submission to Committee on Agriculture on the Process for the Review of the Operation of the Bali Decision on Tariff Rate Quota Administration ( 1 ) .
Communications from the European Union
G/AG/W/179
6 June 2018
—
Review of the Operation of the Bali Ministerial Decision on ‘Understanding on Tariff Rate Quota Administration provisions of Agricultural Products …’ ( 2 ) .
Submission from the Cairns Group
G/AG/W/183
31 July 2018
Tariff quota administration methods and fill rates 2007-2016.
Background Paper by the Secretariat
G/AG/W/186
19 September 2018
Review of Bali Decision on TRQ administration.
Submission from Australia
G/AG/W/197
24 May 2019
The Underfill Mechanism of the Bali TRQ Administration Decision
Submission on behalf of the Cairns Group
( 1 ) Document G/AG/W/171 of 9 February 2018.
( 2 ) WT/MIN (13)/39 AND WT/L/914 dated 11 December 2013.
ANNEX 2Supplementary provisions
ANNEX 2
1.
The timeframe specified in Paragraph 14 and footnote 2 of the Bali TRQ Decision for a decision on Paragraph 4 of Annex A shall be extended to the end of 2021. All references to ‘12 th Ministerial Conference’ and ‘31 December 2019’ in paragraphs 13-14 and footnote 2 of the Bali TRQ Decision shall be understood to read ‘13 th Ministerial Conference’ and ‘31 December 2021’ respectively. In all other respects, the terms of the Bali TRQ Decision remain unchanged. For greater certainty, Members listed in Annex B of the Bali TRQ Decision retain the right to discontinue application of paragraph 4 of Annex A on or after 31 December 2021 if neither a Ministerial Conference nor the General Council has decided to extend paragraph 4 of Annex A by that date.
2.
Recognizing the importance of enhanced transparency of TRQ administration and fill rates as well as a timely submission of notifications by Members, and acknowledging that the on-line agriculture notification system should lead to improved harmonization, the Committee agrees on the following:
a)
The Secretariat will prepare a list of the existing TRQ notification practices of Members including in cases where a scheduled TRQ was not opened.
b)
The Committee will initiate discussions on harmonization of Members’ TRQ notification practices, including for the TRQ fill rates.
c)
The Committee encourages Members to include an explanation in their Table MA:2 notifications in cases where scheduled TRQs are not opened.
d)
The Secretariat will regularly update the information on TRQ administration and fill rates as included in G/AG/W/183 ( 1 ) as well the updated information on which Members have notified fill rates and on questions raised in the Committee concerning fill rates.
3.
The Committee agrees to undertake regular reviews of the operation of the Bali TRQ Decision every three years after the conclusion of this review. These regular reviews will include, inter alia, an examination of the utilization of the Underfill Mechanism based on submissions by Members.
( 1 ) The Secretariat background note may specifically include a list of TRQs where no Table MA:2 notification has been submitted or where the fill rate is below 65 %.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
