Proposal for a Council Regulation opening and providing for the administration of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands from 2014 to 2020

The Canary Islands are one of the outermost regions of the European Union, for which special measures may be foreseen, pursuant to Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in order to overcome the economic disadvantages these regions suffer due to their geographical situation. Since 1991 the European Union has suspended, partially or in full, the Common Custom Tariff duties on imports of certain fishery products into the Canary Islands.

The exceptional geographical situation of the Canary Islands in relation to the sources of supply of fishery products which are essential for domestic consumption entails costs that are a severe burden for this sector. The negative effects of this natural handicap can be remedied by temporarily suspending customs duties on imports of the products in question from third countries. The proposed reductions in import duties, in combination with other measures specific for the outermost regions, will help the Canary Islands to overcome the structural difficulties they face.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)552: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:552:FIN

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