Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-Box-II.1 |
European Union |
2017 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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Box 2.1 Objectives of the updated trade and investment policy strategy
The EU will focus attention on, inter alia, achieving the following: (...)
(iii) A trade and investment policy based on values by:
(...)
• Expanding measures to support sustainable development, fair and ethical trade, and human rights, including by ensuring effective implementation of related FTA provisions and the Generalised Scheme of Preferences. (...)
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-II§18 |
European Union |
2017 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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While the EU reiterates the importance of the WTO as the central and pre-eminent forum for developing and enforcing the rules of global trade, it has moved away from a "single undertaking" approach by announcing that it will seek more issues-based negotiations at the multilateral level and limited plurilateral initiatives (still ultimately open to all WTO countries) to achieve gradual improvements to international trade rules. The international negotiations with other WTO Members on the plurilateral Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) , the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) [8] are also seen by the Commission as stepping stones to further liberalization in this area of trade in goods and services as well as trade-related aspects of intellectual property.
[8] Since July 2014, the EU and 16 other WTO Members have been negotiating the EGA to remove barriers to trade in environmental or "green" goods.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-II§25 |
European Union |
2017 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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The EU's preferential FTAs go beyond trade in goods. The new generation of EU FTAs cover goods, services, intellectual property, investment, government procurement, access to energy and raw materials, customs and trade facilitation, competition (including subsidies and state-owned enterprises), and regulatory cooperation. They contain commitments on customs duty reduction, access to services markets – to be able to fully take advantage of the tariff engagements, and tools to reduce or eliminate "non-tariff barriers" such as technical regulations or unjustified sanitary barriers. In addition, the EU emphasizes areas which are important in terms of values such as sustainable development and the protection of human rights.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-II§36 |
European Union |
2017 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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The EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), introduced in 1971 and implemented through successive Council regulations, is a trade policy instrument that continues to support sustainable development and good governance in developing countries. As noted in the previous Review, in 2012 the EU reformed the GSP (as set out by Regulation (EU) No. 978/2012 of the European Parliament and the Council of 25 October 2012) in order to focus support on developing countries most in need. The GSP provides a general GSP arrangement and two special arrangements:
• The general arrangement ("Standard GSP") grants duty reductions for circa 66% of all EU tariff lines to countries of low or lower-middle income status, which do not benefit from other preferential trade access to the EU market. There are currently 30 Standard GSP beneficiaries.
• The Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance ("GSP+") grants complete duty suspension for essentially the same 66% of tariff lines as the Standard GSP, for countries especially vulnerable in terms of their economies' diversification and import volumes. In return, beneficiary countries must ratify and effectively implement 27 core international conventions [12]. As of November 2016, there were nine GSP+ beneficiaries (Armenia, Bolivia, Cabo Verde, Georgia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay and the Philippines). As set out in the GSP Regulations, the initial lifetime of the GSP+ is 10 years (i.e. it will apply until 31 December 2023).
• The Everything But Arms ("EBA") special arrangement grants full duty-free, quota-free access for all products except arms and ammunition, for countries classified by the UN as LDCs. There are currently 49 EBA beneficiaries.
[12] There are 7 conventions on human rights, 8 work-related conventions of the ILO, 8 conventions on environmental protection and climate change, and 4 good governance conventions under UN auspices against corruption and the control of illegal drugs.
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Keywords
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Climate
Environment
Sustainable
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-II§38 |
European Union |
2017 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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In January 2016, the Commission published its first biannual report to the European Parliament and the Council on the effects of the reformed GSP, in particular the GSP+ arrangement supporting sustainable development and good governance. The report covers 14 countries that benefited from GSP+ preferences in 2014 and 2015 (Armenia, Bolivia, Cabo Verde, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Mongolia, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Philippines).
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§11 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Conformity assessment procedures |
Other |
Relevant information
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In terms of enforcement, for 2015, the EU recorded 7,000 infringements of CITES and more than 19,000 infringements of goods presenting a risk for consumers in terms of sanitary, phytosanitary and veterinary technical standards.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-Table-III.7 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Internal taxes |
Energy, Manufacturing, Other |
Relevant information
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Table 3.7 Excise duties other than on EU harmonized products (alcohol, tobacco, and energy products), by member State, 2016/2017
Product Rate Source
Environmental €2.70-4.50 per kg
http://finances.belgium.be/fr/entreprises/accises
(...)
Denmark
Hazardous waste Kr 160 per ton
http://www.skat.dk/SKAT.aspx?oId=1921338
(...)
Finland
Oil waste €0.0575 per kg
http://www.tulli.fi/en/finnish_customs/publications/excise_tax/excise_taxation/016.pdf
http://www.tulli.fi/fi/yrityksille/verotus/valmisteverotettavat/index.jsp
(...)
Germany
Nuclear fuel 145 euros per gram
Biofuels Quota system
http://www.zoll.de/DE/Fachthemen/Steuern/Verbrauchsteuern/verbrauchsteuern_node.html
(...)
Italy
Nitrogen oxide emissions €209.00 per tonne/year
Sulfur emissions €106.00 per tonne/year
https://www.agenziadoganemonopoli.gov.it/portale/documents/20182/889198/Aliquote+nazionali+aggiornamento+al+1+gennaio+2015.pdf/9109f7b8-985a-4837-b0e0-ac09fdbbc77e
(...)
Romania
Natural fur products 45%
http://www.aneir-cpce.ro/chapter5/excise1.htm
(...)
Sweden
Waste (landfills) SEK 500 per tonne
http://www.skatteverket.se/foretagochorganisationer/skatter/punktskatter.4.71004e4c133e23bf6db800057013.html
(...)
U.K.
Biofuels £0.5795 per litre
Climate change £0.00195 to £0.00559 per kWh or £0.01251 to £0.01526 per kg depending on commodity
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-trade-tariff-excise-duties-reliefs-drawbacks-and-allowances/uk-trade-tariff-excise-duties-reliefs-drawbacks-and-allowances#introduction
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowance-excise-duty-gambling-duty/excise-duty-gambling-duty-rates#gambling-duties
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-excise-duty/vehicle-excise-duty
(...)
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Keywords
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Climate
Environment
Hazardous
Waste
Bio
Emissions
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§55 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Ban/Prohibition, Import licences |
Manufacturing, Other |
Relevant information
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(...) There are a number of prohibited or restricted products, with many of them attributable to international agreements, i.e. to protect the environment or similar (Table 3.8). In addition, the EU has import prohibitions on cat and dog fur, and products thereof; and seal products. According to the Commission, they consider these as internal measures and not border measures. Pursuant to an EU regulation , the Commission has rules to restrict invasive alien species The implementing regulation which came into force in August 2016 provides a list of species and implementation. (...)
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-Table-III.8 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Ban/Prohibition, Import licences |
Chemicals, Fisheries, Other |
Relevant information
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Table 3.8 EU prohibitions or restrictions on imports, 2017
Product Measure Rationale Legislation
Controlled substances that deplete the ozone layer Prohibition Montreal Protocol Regulation (EC) No. 1005/2009
Certain animal and plant species Restriction CITES Regulation (EU) No. 750/2013
(...)
Waste Restriction Basel Convention Regulation (EC) No. 1013/2006
Fish of vessels from Cambodia and Guinea Prohibition Protection of the environment Regulation (EC) No. 1005/2008 and Council Implementing Decision of 24 March 2014
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Keywords
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Waste
Fish
Environment
MEAs
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-III§56 |
European Union |
2017 |
Measures |
Import licences |
Chemicals, Fisheries, Other |
Relevant information
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(...) Most of the licensing requirements, notably those linked to tariff quotas (TQs), concern agricultural products; and others pertain mainly to international agreements to protect the environment or similar (e.g. CITES, Montreal Protocol, Basel Convention, Kimberley Process). (...)
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