Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009 in relation to tariff quotas for wine

The European Union grants exceptional unlimited duty-free access to the EU market for nearly all products originating in the countries benefiting from the Stabilisation and Association process, through Council Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009 of 30 November 2009, except wine and baby beef, which remain subject to tariff quotas. The aim of these measures is to revitalise the Western Balkan economies through a privileged access to the EU market. In turn, economic development is to foster political stability in the entire region.

These trade preferences are granted for a period ending on 31 December 2015, and currently apply to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, the Republic of Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.

Stabilisation and Association Agreements and Interim Agreements grant in some instances a tariff quota for wine, sugar and baby beef. An additional global tariff quota for wine, of 50.000 hl, is provided in Council Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009, open to all the beneficiaries subject to exhaustion of their specific quota available under the respective Stabilisation and Association Agreements or the Interim Agreements.

Kosovo has no Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and can only benefit of the general tariff quota. When this tariff quota is exhausted by other countries, Kosovan exporters have no preferential access to the EU market.

Kosovo has demonstrated the potential to export wine to the EU, and exporters need a stable and reliable framework. Therefore, it is proposed to allocate a specific tariff quota of 20.000 hl to Kosovo, which is deducted from the global quota of 50.000 hl provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009, hence reduced to 30.000 hl. This is achieved by closing the current tariff quota and establishing two new ones for the said amounts.

This reallocation does not affect the global volume of concession to the countries in the Western Balkans, and maintains stable wine market conditions in the EU. Specific tariff quotas established in Stabilisation and Association Agreements or Interim Agreements are not affected.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)187: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:187:FIN

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