Regulation (EU) 2024/1501 on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from the Republic of Moldova under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part

What it is

to increase the trade flows concerning all imports from Moldova by suspending all outstanding tariffs and import duties applied to Moldovan products. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine since 24 February 2022 has had a profoundly negative impact on the ability of the Republic of Moldova to trade with the rest of the world, in particular because exports from the Republic of Moldova relied on transit via Ukrainian territory and on Ukrainian infrastructure, which are currently largely unavailable. The European Parliament adopted by 459 votes to 65, with 57 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from the Republic of Moldova under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part. The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure by taking over the Commission proposal. Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine since 24 February 2022, has had a profoundly negative impact on the ability of the Republic of Moldova to trade with the rest of the world, in particular because exports from the Republic of Moldova rely on transit via Ukrainian territory and on Ukrainian infrastructure, which are currently largely unavailable. In 2022, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2022/1279, which puts in place temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from Moldova under the EU-Moldova Association Agreement. The present legislative proposal aims to once again renew these trade-liberalisation measures for a period of one year as of the date on which the current measures expire (i.e., as of 25 July 2024). Under the proposed regulation, all outstanding tariffs under Title V of the Association Agreement will be suspended. This concerns fruits and vegetables subject to the entry-price system and tariff-rate quotas, namely tomatoes, garlic, table grapes, apples, cherries, plums and grape juice. Most Moldovan exports already benefit from duty-free access to the EU market under the Association Agreement. The proposal introduces a strengthened safeguard mechanism to prevent and counteract adverse market effects in the EU Member States. The Commission can take any necessary measures, including the reintroduction of customs duties if it finds that imports of a specific product covered by this regulation leads to market disturbances in the EU or any of its Member States. The Commission will regularly monitor the impact of the trade-liberalisation measures in terms of import volumes and prices. Trade liberalisation measures are…

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