REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on applying a generalised scheme of tariff preferences and repealing Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council

Wording as published by the EP, in English.

1. Amendment 124 · Draft legislative actRejected

   Article 19 – paragraph 1 a (new)

   Tabled by Lynn Boylan · The Left

   Added: 1 a. The Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) shall not condition trade preferences for beneficiary countries on their migration and readmission cooperation with the Union. Such linkage is unrelated to the GSP’s objectives of promoting sustainable development and respect for human rights and risks undermining the scheme’s coherence and credibility. Moreover, migration-related conditionality is incompatible with the rules of the World Trade Organization, as it falls outside the permissible criteria for differentiated treatment under international trade law.

2. Amendment 125 · Draft legislative actRejected

   Article 29 a (new)

   Tabled by Daniele Polato · ECR

   Added: Article29a 1. When imports of products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 1006 10, 1006 20 and 1006 30 originating in a beneficiary country exceed, cumulatively and at any point of a calendar year, the yearly import volumes established for each beneficiary country according to the methodology specified in paragraph 4, by 20 %, the Commission shall: (i) suspend, with immediate effect, the tariff preferences referred to in Article 1(2) for imports of those products specified in paragraph 1 originating in the beneficiary country concerned for the remainder of the calendar year; (ii) introduce, for the duration of the following calendar year, a tariff-rate quota for imports of those products specified in paragraph 1 originating in the beneficiary country concerned. The tariff-rate quota shall be equal to the country-specific yearly import volume established for the year in which the suspension referred to in point (i) took effect, according to the methodology specified in paragraph 4. Only imports within the tariff-rate quota shall continue to benefit from the tariff preferences referred to in Article 1(2). 2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to beneficiary countries with a share for products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 1006 10, 1006 20, and 1006 30, considered cumulatively, not exceeding 6 % of total Union imports. 3. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts establishing, in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2), the arrangements for monitoring the import volumes, for suspending the tariff preferences, and for applying the present mechanism. The first of those implementing acts shall apply as from 1 January 2027. 4. The import volumes for each beneficiary country referred to in paragraph 1, applicable for the calendar year 2027, shall be determined by the arithmetic mean of the annual import volumes of the EU originating in each beneficiary country from 1 January 2015 until 31 December 2024. By 31 December 2027 and by 31 December every year thereafter, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2) to specify the import volumes referred to in paragraph 1 and applicable for the following calendar year, on the basis of the arithmetic mean of the annual import volumes of the EU originating in each beneficiary country during the ten preceding calendar years, based on the most recent available data. 5. The report on the application of this Regulation provided for in Article 40, second paragraph, shall include an assessment of the need for and the functioning of the present mechanism.

3. Amendment 127 · Draft legislative actRejected

   Article 29 a (new)

   Tabled by Isabella Tovaglieri, Thierry Mariani, Jorge Buxadé Villalba +5 · PfE

   Added: Article29a Automatic safeguard mechanism for rice 1. When imports of products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 1006 10, 1006 20, 1006 30 and 1006 40 originating in a beneficiary country exceed, cumulatively and at any point of a calendar year, the yearly import volumes established for each beneficiary country according to the methodology specified in paragraph 4, by at least 20 %, the Commission shall: (i) suspend, with immediate effect, the tariff preferences referred to in Article 1(2) for imports of those products originating in the beneficiary country concerned for the remainder of the calendar year; and (ii) introduce, for the duration of the following calendar year, a tariff-rate quota for imports of those products originating in the beneficiary country concerned. The tariff-rate quota shall be equal to the country-specific yearly import volume established for the year in which the suspension referred to in point (i) took effect, according to the methodology specified in paragraph 4. Only imports within the tariff-rate quota shall continue to benefit from the tariff preferences referred to in Article 1(2). 2. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts establishing, in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2), the arrangements for monitoring the import volumes, for suspending the tariff preferences, and for applying the present mechanism. The first of those implementing acts shall apply as from 1 January 2027. 3. The import volumes for each beneficiary country referred to in paragraph 1, applicable for the calendar year 2027, shall be determined by the arithmetic mean of the annual import volumes of the EU originating in each beneficiary country from 1 January 2015 until 31 December 2024. By 31 December 2027 and by 31 December every year thereafter, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2) to specify the import volumes referred to in paragraph 1 and applicable for the following calendar year, on the basis of the arithmetic mean of the annual import volumes of the EU originating in each beneficiary country during the ten preceding calendar years, based on the most recent available data. 4. The report on the application of this Regulation provided for in Article 40, second paragraph, shall include an assessment of the functioning of the present mechanism and its effectiveness in protecting Union rice producers from unfair competition. 5. The Commission shall establish a mechanism to monitor import flows of the products concerned with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of the automatic safeguard mechanism and to prevent circumvention practices, including trade diversion and triangulation via third countries. Where the monitoring reveals abnormal trade patterns or indications of circumvention, the Commission shall take appropriate measures without undue delay.

4. Amendment 130 · Draft legislative actRejected

   Article 29 a (new)

   Tabled by Carlo Fidanza, Daniele Polato, Nicola Procaccini +54 · Members

   Added: Article29a 1. When imports of one of the following products i.e. undenatured ethyl alcohol (falling under Combined Nomenclature code 2207 10), denatured ethyl alcohol (falling under Combined Nomenclature code 2207 20), rice (falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 1006 10, 1006 20, and 1006 30), and sugar (falling under Combined Nomenclature code 1701) originating in a beneficiary country exceed, cumulatively and at any point of a calendar year, the yearly import volumes established for each beneficiary country according to the methodology specified in paragraph 4, by at least 20 %, the Commission shall: (i) suspend, with immediate effect, the tariff preferences referred to in Article 1(2) for imports of the products specified in paragraph 1 originating in the beneficiary country concerned for the remainder of the calendar year; and (ii) introduce, for the duration of the following calendar year, a tariff-rate quota for imports of the products specified in paragraph 1 originating in the beneficiary country concerned. The tariff-rate quota shall be equal to the country-specific yearly import volume established for the year in which the suspension referred to in point (i) took effect, according to the methodology specified in paragraph 4. Only imports within the tariff-rate quota shall continue to benefit from the tariff preferences referred to in Article 1(2). 2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to beneficiary countries with a share for products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes mentioned above considered cumulatively for each sector, not exceeding 6 % the percentages of total Union imports mentioned. 3. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts establishing, in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2), the arrangements for monitoring the import volumes, for suspending the tariff preferences, and for applying the present mechanism. The first of those implementing acts shall apply as from 1 January 2027. 4. The import volumes for each beneficiary country referred to in paragraph 1, applicable for the calendar year 2027, shall be determined by the arithmetic mean of the annual import volumes of the EU originating in each beneficiary country from 1 January 2015 until 31 December 2024. By 31 December 2027 and by 31 December every year thereafter, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2) to specify the import volumes referred to in paragraph 1 and applicable for the following calendar year, on the basis of the arithmetic mean of the annual import volumes of the EU originating in each beneficiary country during the ten preceding calendar years, based on the most recent available data. 5. The report on the application of this Regulation provided for in Article 40, second paragraph, shall include an assessment of the need for and the functioning of the present mechanism.

5. Amendment 139 · Draft legislative actRejected

   Recital 27 a (new)

   Tabled by Markus Buchheit · ESN

   Added: (27 a) The unilateral trade preferences under this Regulation should also take into account the Union’s legitimate interests in the field of migration. Beneficiary countries are expected to cooperate effectively with the Union and its Member States on the return and readmission of their own nationals and certain third-country nationals who reside unlawfully in the Union. In cases of insufficient cooperation on readmission, temporary withdrawal of tariff preferences should be possible.