Autonomous tariff quotas are needed for certain products when production in the European Union is insufficient to meet the needs of the user industry in the EU. EU tariff quotas should be opened at zero or reduced duty rates for appropriate volumes, without disturbing the markets for such products. On 17 December 2013, the Council of the European Union adopted Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013 opening and providing for the management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products so that EU demand for the products in question could be met under the most favourable conditions.
The Regulation is updated every six months to accommodate the needs of EU industry. The Commission, assisted by the Economic Tariff Questions Group (ETQG), has reviewed all requests from the Member States for autonomous tariff quotas duties. Following this review, the Commission considers that the opening of autonomous tariff quotas is justified for some new products, currently not listed in the Annex to Council Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013. In relation to some other products, an end date needs to be added, or an increase of the initial quota volume has become necessary.
CONTINUE READING ON eur-lex.europa.eu