Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§161 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Other environmental requirements |
Agriculture |
Relevant information
|
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) allows food and feed authorities of the member States and the Commission to exchange information about measures taken in response to direct and indirect risks to human health from food, and human and animal health and the environment from feed. Member States notify risks detected in products already on the market (market notifications) and when products are refused entry into the EU (border rejections).
|
Keywords
|
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§164 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Technical regulation or specifications |
Agriculture |
Relevant information
|
During this period, WTO Members used the SPS Committee to raise two new specific trade concerns about measures taken in the EU or a member State [155] and referred to eight concerns that had been raised earlier. [156] The EU has also used the Committee to raise its concerns in nine cases.
[155] EU proposal to amend Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003 to allow EU member States to restrict or prohibit the use of genetically modified food and feed (ID 396), EU restrictions on exports of pork from the State of Santa Catarina (ID 407).
[156] Agricultural biotechnology approval process (ID 110), France's ban on Bisphenol A (BPA) (ID 346), EU phytosanitary measures on citrus black spot (ID 356), EU ban on mangoes and certain vegetables from India (ID 374), EU withdrawal of equivalence for processed organic products (ID 378), EU revised proposal for categorization of compounds as endocrine disruptors (ID 382), EU proposal to amend regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003 to allow EU member States to restrict or prohibit the use of genetically modified food and feed (ID 396), and EU restrictions on exports of pork from the State of Santa Catarina (ID 407).
|
Keywords
|
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§166 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Grants and direct payments |
Agriculture |
Relevant information
|
The two largest areas of expenditure out of the EU budget in 2013 and 2014 were agriculture and structural operations, comprising the European Agriculture Guarantee Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, and the Cohesion Fund. Another notable area of expenditure is research. The structural funds comprise the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). ERDF resources focus on the co-financing of productive investment leading to job creation and maintenance and investment in infrastructure. The ESF supports programmes in education and job market improvement, and the Cohesion Fund covers member States whose gross national income per inhabitant is less than 90% of the EU average, and, inter alia, funds projects in the field of transport and environmental infrastructure.
|
Keywords
|
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§167 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Grants and direct payments |
Agriculture |
Relevant information
|
The overall goal of the Cohesion policy, the EU's key investment policy, is to support job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth and sustainable development in all regions. The policy is put in place for a seven-year period, currently 2014-2020. The EU's intervention regarding the Cohesion policy is being carried out via the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund. The budget for the current 2014-2020 period is estimated to amount to €346 billion, or one third of the EU budget, according to the latest notification. Additional funding from the member States will bring the total amount spent to €477 billion. Outlays under the ERDF, the Cohesion Fund and the ESF amounted to €56.8 billion in 2013 and €52.8 billion in 2014.
|
Keywords
|
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§171 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Grants and direct payments |
All products/economic activities |
Relevant information
|
The current General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) will remain in force until 31 December 2020, and authorizes aid in favour of: (...) environmental protection; (...)
[3.170. (...) The GBER applies to all sectors of the economy with some exceptions. Sectoral restrictions are set out in Article 1, paragraphs 3-5 of the Regulation, and include specific activities in the fishery and aquaculture sector, in the primary production of agricultural products, the coal sector, the steel sector, shipbuilding, and the synthetic fibres sector.]
|
Keywords
|
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§179 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Grants and direct payments |
Not specified |
Relevant information
|
[Context:
3.178. On 19 May 2016, the Commission published a new guidance document on the notion of state aid, the so-called "Notice on the notion of state aid". This Notice is the last part of the Commission's SAM initiative and is designed to help member States and public authorities to draw up funding in ways which do not distort competition. (...)]
For example, Section 7 of the Notice contains specific clarification on state measures concerning infrastructure. Section 2.6 discusses culture and heritage conservation, including nature conservation. In the domain of tax measures, Section 5.4.4 elaborates, inter alia, on when a tax ruling gives a company or a group of companies a selective advantage (Box 3.3).
|
Keywords
|
Natural resources
Conservation
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§180 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Grants and direct payments |
Not specified |
Relevant information
|
In 2014, €99 billion were provided for non-crisis state aid (excluding transport), a 45% increase over spending in 2013 (Table 3.15). The biggest categories were: environmental protection, including energy saving which registered an almost three-fold increase over 2013 and accounted for more than 40% of total spending [173]; (...)
[173] The increase of renewable energy support schemes (RES) in the reporting stems, among others, from the increased awareness by member States of the state aid nature of subsidies to RES following the adoption of the 2014 Energy and Environmental Aid Guidelines. Indeed, 2014 shows an increase of the reported state aid on environmental protection and energy savings of about €28.5 billion at EU level.
|
Keywords
|
Renewable
Energy
Environment
Conservation
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-Table-III.15 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Grants and direct payments |
Not specified |
Relevant information
|
Table 3.15 Non-crisis related state aid, 2009-14
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Non-agricultural aid 65,914.5 63,813.9 57,914.4 59,535.0 59,720.4 90,978.4
of which (by objective)
Compensation of damages caused by natural disasters 3.6 41.3 78.4 34.5 282.0 695.3
(...)
Environmental protection incl. energy saving 14,245.8 14,064.9 13,003.2 14,473.9 15,503.5 42,085.5
(...)
|
Keywords
|
Energy
Environment
Conservation
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§182 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Grants and direct payments |
Not specified |
Relevant information
|
(...) In Germany's case, 80% of total state aid (less railways) was devoted to environmental protection, including energy saving. (...)
|
Keywords
|
Energy
Environment
Conservation
|
|
Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§245 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
|
Not specified |
Relevant information
|
Under the directives, contract awards are based on the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) which "shall be identified on the basis of the price or cost, using a cost-effectiveness approach, such as life-cycle costing …, and may include the best price-quality ratio, which shall be assessed on the basis of criteria, including qualitative, environmental and/or social aspects, linked to the subject matter of the public contract in question". The criteria used for assessment are set out in the request for tenders. In assessing the life-cycle cost, imputed values for environmental externalities may be included. In addition, the contracting authorities may take into account criteria linked to the production process of the works, services or supplies to be purchased, such as the inclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged people, or the use of non-toxic substances. Furthermore, a contracting authority may require that works, supplies, or services bear specific labels certifying environmental, social or other characteristics, as long as the label requirements only concern criteria which are linked to the subject matter of the contract and are appropriate to define characteristics of the works, supplies or services and that equivalent labels are accepted.
|
Keywords
|
|
|