PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2018/601 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters

CONTENT: with this Decision, the Council decided to approve, on behalf of the Union, the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters. The Agreement had been signed on 3 July 2017, in accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2018/600.

The Agreement:

provides a comprehensive framework for the EU and New Zealand to cooperate in the area of customs with the objective of ensuring effective controls while facilitating legitimate trade; promotes modern and simple procedures in order to save time and money in getting goods through customs; stops illegal goods reaching the European market.

Objective : the general objective of the Agreement is to develop and intensify cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters with New Zealand; in particular, to establish the legal basis for a cooperation framework which aims at securing the supply chain and facilitating legitimate trade , as well as enabling information exchange to ensure the proper application of customs legislation and the prevention, investigation and combating of breaches of customs legislation.

The Agreement provides a basis to further develop customs cooperation in future if warranted, for example through the establishment of Mutual Recognition of respective trade partnership programmes (Authorised Economic Operators in the EU).

Trade cooperation framework : the Agreement also intends to:

maximise the contribution made by them to the work of the WCO, the WTO and other relevant international organisations in improving customs techniques and in resolving problems of customs procedures, customs enforcement and the facilitation of trade; implement international instruments and standards applicable in the area of customs and trade; implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement upon its entry into force; cooperate in the research, development, testing and evaluation of new customs procedures, and in the training and exchange of personnel and provision of assistance.

Mutual administrative cooperation : the Agreement aims to enable information exchange to ensure the proper application of customs legislation and the prevention, investigation and combating of breaches of customs legislation.

Joint Customs Cooperation Committee: the Agreement seeks to establish a Joint Customs Cooperation Committee, consisting of representatives of the customs and other competent authorities of the Contracting Parties. It shall see to the proper functioning and implementation of this Agreement and shall examine all issues and disputes arising from its application.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 16.4.2018.

The European Parliament adopted by 607 votes to 38, with 33 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

The European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the agreement .

The general objective of the Agreement is to develop and intensify cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters with New Zealand; in particular, to establish the legal basis for a cooperation framework which aims at securing the supply chain and facilitating legitimate trade, as well as enabling information exchange to ensure the proper application of customs legislation.

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Daniel CASPARY (EPP, DE) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament give its approval to the conclusion of the Agreement.

As indicated in the explanatory memorandum accompanying the report, the Agreement between the EU and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters can be seen as another step in deepening the EU-New Zealand trade and economic relationship by creating a more trade-friendly and secure customs environment.

The Agreement was signed on 3 July 2017. It is aimed at:

benefitting legitimate trade by creating a more predictable and trade-friendly exchange; further enabling exchange of information and cooperation of customs authorities; promoting modern and simple procedures in order to save time and money in getting goods through customs, thus creating a level playing field for economic operators on both sides; helping to prevent, investigate and combat breaches of customs legislation, and thus helping to protect consumers by stopping harmful or illegal goods reaching the European market.

In the rapporteur’s view, the conclusion of the agreement would be a welcome step towards a future free trade agreement.

PURPOSE: to approve the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

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: on 22 July 2013, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with New Zealand with a view to concluding an Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters. The negotiations resulted in the initialling of the Agreement on 23 September 2015.

The Agreement should now be approved.

CONTENT: the Council’s draft aims for the approval, on behalf of the European Union , of the EU-New Zealand Agreement on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

The general objective of the Agreement is to develop and intensify cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters with New Zealand ; in particular, to establish the legal basis for a cooperation framework which aims at securing the supply chain and facilitating legitimate trade, as well as enabling information exchange to ensure the proper application of customs legislation and the prevention, investigation and combating of breaches of customs legislation.

For further details on the content of the agreement, please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal dated 21.1.2016.

PURPOSE: to approve the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

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: on 22 July 2013, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with New Zealand with a view to concluding an Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters. The negotiations resulted in the initialling of the Agreement on 23 September 2015.

The Agreement should now be approved.

CONTENT: the Council’s draft aims for the approval, on behalf of the European Union , of the EU-New Zealand Agreement on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

The general objective of the Agreement is to develop and intensify cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters with New Zealand ; in particular, to establish the legal basis for a cooperation framework which aims at securing the supply chain and facilitating legitimate trade, as well as enabling information exchange to ensure the proper application of customs legislation and the prevention, investigation and combating of breaches of customs legislation.

For further details on the content of the agreement, please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal dated 21.1.2016.

PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

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: in 2009, New Zealand signalled its interest to enter into a legally binding relationship with the European Union and approached the European Commission with a request of its government to develop customs cooperation with the EU focusing on supply chain security and trade facilitation.

On 22 July 2013, the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate an Agreement on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters with New Zealand. The negotiations were launched in September 2013. Both sides initialled the Agreement in Brussels on 23 September 2015.

It is now necessary to conclude the Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

CONTENT: under this proposed Decision, the Council is called upon to approve, the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters.

Objective : the general objective of the Agreement is to develop and intensify cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters with New Zealand; in particular, to establish the legal basis for a cooperation framework which aims at securing the supply chain and facilitating legitimate trade , as well as enabling information exchange to ensure the proper application of customs legislation and the prevention, investigation and combating of breaches of customs legislation.

The Agreement provides a basis to further develop customs cooperation in future if warranted, for example through the establishment of Mutual Recognition of respective trade partnership programmes (Authorised Economic Operators in the EU).

Trade cooperation framework : the Agreement also intends to:

maximise the contribution made by them to the work of the WCO, the WTO and other relevant international organisations in improving customs techniques and in resolving problems of customs procedures, customs enforcement and the facilitation of trade; implement international instruments and standards applicable in the area of customs and trade; implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement upon its entry into force; cooperate in the research, development, testing and evaluation of new customs procedures, and in the training and exchange of personnel and provision of assistance.

Mutual administrative cooperation : the Agreement aims to enable information exchange to ensure the proper application of customs legislation and the prevention, investigation and combating of breaches of customs legislation.

Joint Customs Cooperation Committee : the Agreement seeks to establish a Joint Customs Cooperation Committee, consisting of representatives of the customs and other competent authorities of the Contracting Parties. It shall see to the proper functioning and implementation of this Agreement and shall examine all issues and disputes arising from its application.