Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 introducing autonomous trade preferences for the Republic of Moldova

The European Union and the Republic of Moldova signed an Association Agreement, including the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) on 27 June 2014. In the framework of the AA/DCFTA negotiations, the Republic of Moldova has adopted an ambitious agenda for political association and further economic integration with the Union. It has also made strong progress on regulatory approximation leading to convergence with Union laws and standards.

Recently the Republic of Moldova has experienced and continues to experience difficulties with its fruit and vegetables exports to some of its traditional markets, which threaten its economic recovery and the reform process that is vigorously pursued by the government of the Republic of Moldova. The agricultural sector represents around 40% of the Republic of Moldova's economy and the horticultural sector is an important part of it, providing employment to some 250,000 people (i.e. around 10% of the active population), who are mainly living in rural areas and cultivating medium to smaller family plots. Moreover, horticultural export levels have fallen in recent years and any significant further decline would have a disproportionately adverse effect, not just on the economy but on society as a whole.

In the framework of the DCFTA, the Union committed itself to fully liberalise the market access for a number of fresh fruits and vegetables up to certain volumes set above the Republic of Moldova's traditional exports to the Union. Taking into consideration the current temporary severe difficulties in accessing the Republic of Moldova's traditional export markets for a number of products, the European Commission proposes to increase temporarily its fully liberalised market access for imports of these products from the Republic of Moldova, allowing their commercialisation in the Union.

The proposed amendment to Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 introduces three new duty free tariff quotas for fresh apples, fresh table grapes and fresh plums. As the Autonomous Trade Preference scheme expires at the end of 2015, this amendment provides for a time-limited response to the immediate needs for the key export products adversely affected (i.e. apples, plums and table grapes).

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)542: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:542:FIN

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