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.