PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the Union
and Chile on trade in organic products.
PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the
act only if the European Parliament has approved it.
BACKGROUND: the Council of the Union encouraged the
Commission to improve the current mechanisms to facilitate
international trade in organic products and require reciprocity and
transparency in any trade agreement.
On 16 June 2014 the Council authorised the Commission
to negotiate agreements between the EU and third countries on trade
in organic products.
On the basis of the Council's negotiating directives,
the Commission has negotiated with Chile an agreement reciprocally
recognising the equivalence of the respective organic production
rules and control systems as regards certain products.
CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council
adopt a decision regarding the conclusion of the agreement
between the European Union and Chile on trade in organic
products.
The Agreement aims at fostering trade in organic
products, thereby contributing to the development and expansion
of the organic sector in the Union and in Chile, and achieving a
high level of respect for the principles of organic production
rules, for guarantee of the control systems and integrity of
organic products. The protection of the respective organic logos
should also be improved.
The Agreement also aims at enhancing regulatory
cooperation between the Parties on issues related to organic
production.
Equivalence agreement:
in the Agreement, the Union and Chile recognise the equivalence of
their rules on organic production and control systems as regards
organic products. The equivalence agreement will allow for
products produced and controlled according to EU rules to be
directly placed on the Chilean market and vice versa. It will
also provide for a system of co-operation, exchange of
information and dispute settlement in organic trade.
Chile will recognise as
equivalent all Union's organic products included in the scope of Regulation
(EC) No 834/2007, namely:
- unprocessed plant products;
- live animals or unprocessed animal products (including
honey);
- aquaculture products and seaweeds;
- processed agricultural products for use as food
(including wine);
- processed agricultural products for use as
feed;
- vegetative propagating material and seeds for
cultivation.
The Union will recognise
as equivalent the following products from Chile:
- unprocessed plant products;
- honey;
- processed agricultural products for use as food
(including wine);
- vegetative propagating material and seeds for
cultivation.
The Agreement also provides that:
- Chilean production rules for animal products other
than apiculture as well as feed were not found
equivalent and could possibly only be
recognised as equivalent at a later stage, once Chile develops its
legislation for these products;
- Chile recognises the Union's organic aquaculture
products and seaweeds;
- processed agricultural products for use as
food that have been processed in
Chile must use Chilean organically grown ingredients or ingredients
imported to Chile either from the Union or from a third country
recognised as equivalent.
Implementation of the Agreement: the Joint Committee on Organic Products,
established by the Agreement, will deal with certain aspects of its
implementation. In particular, the Joint Committee has the power to
amend the list of products set out in Annex I or II to the
Agreement. The Commission will represent the Union in the Joint
Committee.
The Commission is empowered to approve amendments
to the list of products set out in Annex I or II, subject to
giving prior information to Member States. In addition, it is
empowered to unilaterally suspend the recognition of
equivalence, subject to prior information to Member States to
allow for a timely reaction in case conditions for equivalence are
not met anymore.
Where representatives of Member States representing a
blocking minority object to the position presented by the
Commission, the Commission should not be allowed to approve
amendments to the list of products set out in Annex I or II, nor to
suspend the recognition of equivalence. In such cases, the
Commission should present a proposal for a Council decision, on the
basis of Article 218 (9) of the Treaty.