PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.

NON LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (UE) 2017/446 on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union of the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft

CONTENT: the Council approved the conclusion of the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, on behalf of the EU .

To recall, the 1979 World Trade Organisation (WTO) plurilateral Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft was adopted as part of the Tokyo Round. It entered into force on 1 January 1980 and it now has 32 signatories.

This Agreement eliminates import duties on all aircraft, other than military aircraft, as well as on all other products covered by the Agreement, in particular civil aircraft engines and their parts and components, all components and sub-assemblies of civil aircraft, and flight simulators and their parts and components.

The amendments relate to the list of products accorded duty-free or duty-exempt treatment, set out in the Annex to the Agreement, transposing into the Annex the changes introduced in the 2007 version of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 3.3.2017.

The European Parliament adopted by 657 votes to 29, with 14 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.

In line with the recommendation made by the Committee on International Trade, Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Protocol.

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Inmaculada RODRÍGUEZ-PIÑERO FERNÁNDEZ (S&D, ES) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.

The committee recommended the European Parliament to give its consent to the conclusion of the Protocol.

As a reminder, the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft (ATCA), which was signed by 32 parties and entered into force in 1980, eliminates import duties on all aircraft, other than military aircraft, as well as on all other products covered by the agreement - civil aircraft, all components and sub-assemblies of civil aircraft, and flight simulators.

The Agreement contains a product coverage Annex which lists the products that shall be accorded duty-free treatment. Products in the Annex are classified according to their respective tariff headings under the harmonized system. Since the adoption of the ATCA, different versions of the harmonized system have been adopted, in particular in 2007. Therefore, in November 2015, the Civil Aircraft Committee adopted a protocol amending this Annex of the Agreement, in order to transpose the changes introduced in the 2007 version of the harmonized system.

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: by means of Decision 80/271/EEC, the Council approved the conclusion of the GATT Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.

Signatories to the Agreement, through their representatives, agreed to open the Protocol (2015) Amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft (the Protocol) for acceptance in Geneva on 5 November 2015, transposing into the Annex to the Agreement the changes introduced in the 2007 version of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System.

The Protocol should now be approved.

CONTENT: the draft Council Decision seeks the approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft .

For further details on the Protocol please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal from 5 July 2016 .

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: by means of Decision 80/271/EEC, the Council approved the conclusion of the GATT Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.

Signatories to the Agreement, through their representatives, agreed to open the Protocol (2015) Amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft (the Protocol) for acceptance in Geneva on 5 November 2015, transposing into the Annex to the Agreement the changes introduced in the 2007 version of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System.

The Protocol should now be approved.

CONTENT: the draft Council Decision seeks the approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol (2015) amending the Annex to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft .

For further details on the Protocol please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal from 5 July 2016 .

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, the Protocol (2015) Amending the Product Coverage Annex of the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft (ATCA).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: the 1979 World Trade Organisation (WTO) plurilateral Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft was adopted as part of the Tokyo Round. It entered into force on 1 January 1980 and it now has 32 signatories.

This Agreement eliminates import duties on all aircraft , other than military aircraft, as well as on all other products covered by the agreement, in particular civil aircraft engines and their parts and components, all components and sub-assemblies of civil aircraft, and flight simulators and their parts and components.

It contains disciplines on government-directed procurement of civil aircraft and prohibition of inducements to purchase, as well as on government financial support for the civil aircraft sector.

The Annex to the Agreement lists the products that shall be accorded duty-free or duty-exempt treatment , if such products are for the use in civil aircraft or ground flying trainers and for incorporation therein, in the course of their manufacture, repair, maintenance rebuilding, modification or conversion.

Products in the Annex of the Agreement are classified according to their respective tariff headings for customs purposes under the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System) developed by the World Customs Organization.

Since the adoption of the ATCA, different versions of Harmonized System have been adopted.

In November 2001, members adopted a Protocol Amending the Annex to the ATCA , transposing into the Annex the changes introduced in the 1992, 1996 and 2002 versions of the Harmonised System.

Another revision of the Harmonized System took place in 2007 . On 5 November 2015, after several years of discussions, the WTO Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft agreed to open for acceptance the revised Product Coverage of the 1979 Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft via the Protocol amending the annex to the ATCA.

CONTENT: the Commission is presenting the Commission is submitting a proposal to the Council for a decision on the conclusion of the Protocol amending the Product Coverage Annex of the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft .

The protocol covers matters that fall under the common commercial policy and the amendment concerns a technical update of an international agreement without altering its scope or content.

The new Protocol open for acceptance on 5th November 2015 by the WTO Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft will modify the 2001 Protocol to make it compatible with the 2007 version of the Harmonized System.