Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 374/2014 on the reduction or elimination of customs duties on goods originating in Ukraine

Regulation (EU) No 374/2014 on the reduction or elimination of customs duties on goods originating in Ukraine was to apply until Title IV of the Association Agreement enters into force or is applied provisionally. It was intended that Regulation (EU) No 374/2014 would cease to apply on 1 November 2014 at the latest.

In the Joint Ministerial Statement on the Implementation of the EU-Ukraine AA/DCFTA of 12 September 2014 following the tri-lateral consultations between the European Union, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the EU side agreed to propose as part of a comprehensive peace process in Ukraine, to EU Member States to delay until 31 December 2015 the provisional application of the DCFTA while continuing autonomous trade measures of the EU to the benefit of Ukraine during this period. Consequently, in order to support the political and economic stability of Ukraine, the European Commission would propose the extension of the application of Regulation (EU) No 374/2014 on the reduction or elimination of customs duties on goods originating in Ukraine until 31 December 2015.

Article 2 of the Association Agreement with Ukraine provides that the respect for democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms and respect for the principle of the rule of law, promotion of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and independence, as well as countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, related materials and their means of delivery constitute essential elements of that Agreement. The autonomous preferences provided for under Regulation (EU) No 374/2014 are subject to the respect of these same principles by Ukraine. Volumes/duties granted by the EU under the ATMs regulation in 2014 shall continue to apply for 2015.

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)597: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:597:FIN

ESO: Background information: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the reduction or elimination of customs duties on goods originating in Ukraine http://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-regulation-of-the-european-parliament-and-of-the-council-on-the-reduction-or-elimination-of-customs-duties-on-goods-originating-in-ukraine/

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