Council Decision (EU) 2018/760 of 14 May 2018 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products

What it is

to conclude an agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Union and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: the EU and Norway are signatories to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) which provides for the free movement of goods, with the exception of agricultural and fisheries products. Article 19 of the EEA Agreement provides that the contracting Parties undertake to continue their efforts to achieve progressive liberalisation of trade in agricultural products . BACKGROUND: as a reminder, the EU and Norway are signatories to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) which provides for the free movement of goods, with the exception of agricultural and fisheries products. Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area provides that the Contracting Parties undertake to continue their efforts with a view to achieving progressive liberalisation of agricultural trade. In accordance with a Council Decision, the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the EU and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products was signed, subject to its conclusion. CONTENT: the Council is called on to approve, on behalf of the Union, the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products. The Agreement reached following two years of negotiations will grant mutual duty-free access for 36 tariff lines, including for example various types of live plants, corn for feed, various berries and fermented beverages such as perry and cider. As regards products such as meat, dairy, grains, vegetables and ornamental plants, Norway will grant the EU tariff quotas. In particular, Norway will offer in the meat sector an additional 1600-ton quota for bovine meat and smaller quotas for EU chicken and duck meat, pork, hams and sausages. In the dairy sector Norway will open an additional 1200-ton quota for cheese. As regards the remaining sectors Norway will offer additional market opening for EU ornamental plants, maize and lettuce. The EU will reciprocate by opening a 700-ton quota for various types of chicken meat, a quota for preserved meat and offal. In the dairy sector the EU will offer Norway quotas for dried milk albumin and whey products. The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Tiziana BEGHIN (EFDD, IT) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products. The committee recommended that the European Parliament give its consent to the conclusion of the agreement. As stated in the explanatory statement accompanying the recommendation, the proposed agreement will offer new trade opportunities for EU exporters and deepen trade relations between the EU and Norway. It seeks to increase the degree of…

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