EU Reduces Licensing Requirements for Agricultural Trade

The European Commission decided on Thursday to significantly reduce the number of agricultural products that are subject to an import or export license.

The European Union (EU)'s executive arm said the move was part of its drive to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by cutting red tape for both business operators and national administrations.

Where at present around 500 products are subject to a licensing obligation for imports, that number will only be 65 as from July 1. With regard to exports, only 43 products will have to be accompanied by a license.

In the cereal sector, the number of products for which an import license obligation applies is reduced from 133 to 21. Export certificates for cereals will continue to apply for nine products, rather than the original 133.

For wine, products covered by an import license obligation will decrease from about 100 to zero since Aug. 1, allowing traders to import any product covered by EU regulations without a license.

The licensing obligation will also be totally abolished for imports at full duty in the beef and veal sector and in the dairy sector.

But import licenses will continue to apply to some products that are imported under preferential trade terms, the commission said.

For products that will remain subject to a licensing obligation, the rules have been harmonized and simplified, which renders them more accessible and easier to work with.

Simplifying the CAP and reducing the burden of red tape is one of my main priorities. I welcome the latest step in this ongoing process. It will not be the last, said Mariann Fischer Boel, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

The commission said the use of licenses had allowed for a detailed monitoring of trade in often sensitive product areas and facilitates the anticipation of trade developments. It also made it possible to manage CAP measures such as tariff quotas and export refunds.

Source: CRIEnglish