PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of the Exchange of Letters between the EU and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA).

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2011/818/EU on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

BACKGROUND: Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area foresees that the contracting parties undertake to continue their efforts with a view to achieving progressive liberalisation of agricultural trade between them.

In accordance with Council Decision 2010/676/EU, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area was signed on 15 April 2011, subject to its conclusion.

It is now appropriate to approve this Agreement.

CONTENT: with this Decision, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

The objective is to make provision for further liberalisation of agricultural trade.

The new preferences will consist in additional full liberalisation for some sensitive products, thus allowing some 60% of agricultural trade between Norway and the European Union to be completely free.

For more sensitive products such as:

meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables and ornamental plants, tariff quotas or tariff reductions have been agreed upon.

Specific provisions are foreseen as regards the management of tariff rate quotas for cheese.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Decision shall enter into force on 8/11/2011. The date of entry into force of the Agreement will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.

Decision 2011/818
OJ L 327 09.12.2011, p. 0001

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement.

T7-0353/2011

A7-0276/2011

A7-0276/2011

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Helmut SCHOLZ (GUE/NGL, DE) in which it recommends the European Parliament to give its consent to conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

PE456.787

PE456.629

PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area foresees that the contracting parties undertake to continue their efforts with a view to achieving progressive liberalisation of agricultural trade between them.

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between European Union and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products was signed by the Parties, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

It is now necessary to approve this Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal is to approve, on behalf of the European Union, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the EEA Agreement.

The text of the Agreement is attached to the Decision. For further details, please refer to the summary of the previous initial legislative document dated 27/09/2010.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: this proposal has no implication on the EU budget.

14206/2010

14372/2010

PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area foresees that the contracting parties undertake to continue their efforts with a view to achieving progressive liberalisation of agricultural trade between them.

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between European Union and Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products was signed by the Parties, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

It is now necessary to approve this Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal is to approve, on behalf of the European Union, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the EEA Agreement.

The text of the Agreement is attached to the Decision. For further details, please refer to the summary of the previous initial legislative document dated 27/09/2010.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: this proposal has no implication on the EU budget.

14206/2010

PURPOSE: the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of the Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision

BACKGROUND: Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area provides for progressive liberalisation of agricultural trade between Contracting Parties. To that end, Parties will carry out, at two-yearly intervals, reviews of the conditions of trade in agricultural products and decide, within the framework of this agreement, on a preferential, bilateral or multilateral, reciprocal and mutually beneficial basis, on further reduction of any type of barriers to trade in the agricultural sector.

The last agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the parties came into force in July 2003. It comprised the arrangements for reciprocal trade in cheese and mutual concessions for a variety of agricultural products, including tariff quotas.

The present proposal, which stems from bilateral trade negotiations in agriculture, conducted from March 2008 to January 2010, has resulted in this draft agreement in the form of the exchange of letters which needs to be approved on behalf of the EU.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was undertaken.

LEGAL BASE: Article 207(4) first subparagraph of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) thereof.

CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal is the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of the Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the EEA Agreement.

The objective is to make provision for further liberalisation of agricultural trade .

The new preferences will consist in additional full liberalisation for some sensitive products, thus allowing some 60% of agricultural trade between Norway and the European Union to be completely free.

For more sensitive products such as:

meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables and ornamental plants, tariff quotas or tariff reductions have been agreed upon.

Specific provisions are foreseen as regards the management of tariff rate quotas for cheese.

BUDGETARY IMPACT: the loss of customs revenues is estimated at approximately EUR 4.96 million (net amount after deduction of collection costs).

COM(2010)0466
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE: the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of the Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision

BACKGROUND: Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area provides for progressive liberalisation of agricultural trade between Contracting Parties. To that end, Parties will carry out, at two-yearly intervals, reviews of the conditions of trade in agricultural products and decide, within the framework of this agreement, on a preferential, bilateral or multilateral, reciprocal and mutually beneficial basis, on further reduction of any type of barriers to trade in the agricultural sector.

The last agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the parties came into force in July 2003. It comprised the arrangements for reciprocal trade in cheese and mutual concessions for a variety of agricultural products, including tariff quotas.

The present proposal, which stems from bilateral trade negotiations in agriculture, conducted from March 2008 to January 2010, has resulted in this draft agreement in the form of the exchange of letters which needs to be approved on behalf of the EU.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was undertaken.

LEGAL BASE: Article 207(4) first subparagraph of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) thereof.

CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal is the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of the Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products reached on the basis of Article 19 of the EEA Agreement.

The objective is to make provision for further liberalisation of agricultural trade .

The new preferences will consist in additional full liberalisation for some sensitive products, thus allowing some 60% of agricultural trade between Norway and the European Union to be completely free.

For more sensitive products such as:

meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables and ornamental plants, tariff quotas or tariff reductions have been agreed upon.

Specific provisions are foreseen as regards the management of tariff rate quotas for cheese.

BUDGETARY IMPACT: the loss of customs revenues is estimated at approximately EUR 4.96 million (net amount after deduction of collection costs).

COM(2010)0466
EUR-Lex