Communication from the Commission to the Council. Action plan for monitoring the functioning of preferential trade arrangements

The aim of proper monitoring the functioning of preferential arrangements is to ensure that the legal framework is implemented correctly and that preferences are applied only to imports genuinely originating in the partner/beneficiary country or region in question.

The Commission has significant rights and powers available to it in connection with its obligation to supervise and monitor the proper implementation of rules or origin and when examining applications for repayment or remission of import duties. Insufficient monitoring may have serious consequences, such as allowing a ‘special situation’ to be established under Article 239 of the Customs Code.

Monitoring thus helps to protect the EU’s financial interests and makes for fair trade between the EU and its trade partners.

The Commission suggested in point 3.2.1 of Communication COM(2005)100 final of 16 March 2005 that, initially, legal bases, technical modalities and funding of expenses involved in monitoring should be identified and that a central point should be established to which data on the practical use of preferential arrangements were to be directed (see point 2.2.). Since then the Commission has established a Task Force to monitor the implementation of rules of origin and this acts as this ‘central point’.

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)105: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:105:FIN

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