Council Regulation (EU) 2024/3213 of 16 December 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/2283 opening and providing for the management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 31 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) In order to ensure a sufficient supply of certain agricultural and industrial products which are produced in insufficient quantities in the Union and thereby avoid any disturbances on the market for those products, autonomous tariff quotas of the Union (‘quotas’) were opened by Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2283 (1). Within those quotas, products can be imported into the Union at reduced or zero duty rates.

(2) As it is in the Union’s interest to ensure an adequate supply of certain industrial products, and having regard to the fact that identical, equivalent or substitute products are not produced in sufficient quantities within the Union, it is necessary to open new quotas with order numbers 09.2540, 09.2541, 09.2542, 09.2543 at zero duty rates and 09.2795 at reduced duty rate for appropriate quantities of those products.

(3) As the scope of the quotas with order numbers 09.2652 and 09.2927 has become inadequate to fulfil the needs of economic operators in the Union, the description of the products covered by those quotas should be amended. Additionally, the indication of the applicable TARIC code for the quota with order number 09.2652 should be amended. Furthermore, it is in the Union’s interest to maintain the quota with order number 09.2652 solely for the purpose of using the products concerned in the manufacture of specific goods produced within the Union. The application of the quota with order number 09.2652 should therefore be made conditional on the specific use of the products concerned in accordance with Article 254 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2).

(4) For the quotas with order numbers 09.2596, 09.2597 and 09.2685, the classification of those products in Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 (the ‘Combined Nomenclature’) (3) has changed. Therefore, the applicable Combined Nomenclature codes for those quotas should be amended.

(5) As is it in the Union’s interest to ensure an adequate supply of a certain industrial product, the volume of the quota with order number 09.2662 should be increased.

(6) As the Union production capacity for a certain industrial product has been increased, the volume of the quota with order number 09.2679 should be decreased.

(7) For the quotas with order numbers 09.2544, 09.2545, 09.2546, 09.2547, 09.2548, 09.2549, 09.2550, 09.2551, 09.2552, 09.2553, 09.2554, 09.2555, 09.2556, 09.2557, 09.2559 and 09.2560, the quota periods should be extended and the quota volumes should be adapted on a yearly basis, as the quotas were opened for a period of 6 months only and it is still in the Union’s interest to maintain those quotas.

(8) For the quota with order number 09.2808, the quota should be opened for a period of 6 months only in order to take into account the potential evolution of the production of those products in the Union.

(9) For the quotas with order numbers 09.2563 and 09.2925, the quotas should be opened for a period of 6 months only in order to ensure that their continued existence does not conflict with any other Union policy. Additionally, it is in the Union’s interest to reduce the volume of those quotas by half and to maintain those quotas solely for the purpose of using the products concerned in the manufacture of specific goods produced within the Union. The application of those quotas should therefore be made conditional on the specific use of the products concerned in accordance with Article 254 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013.

(10) As it is no longer in the Union’s interest to maintain the quotas with order numbers 09.2664, 09.2682 and 09.2926, those quotas should be closed with effect from 1 January 2025.

(11) Taking into account the amendments to be made and for the sake of clarity, the Annex to Regulation (EU) 2021/2283 should be replaced.

(12) Regulation (EU) 2021/2283 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(13) In order to avoid any interruption in the application of the quota scheme and to comply with the guidelines set out in the communication from the Commission of 13 December 2011 concerning autonomous tariff suspensions and quotas, the changes provided for in this Regulation regarding the quotas for the products concerned should apply from 1 January 2025. This Regulation should therefore enter into force as a matter of urgency,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The Annex to Regulation (EU) 2021/2283 is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 1 January 2025.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 16 December 2024.

For the Council The President K. KALLAS

(1) Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2283 of 20 December 2021 opening and providing for the management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013 (OJ L 458, 22.12.2021, p. 33, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/2283/oj).

(2) Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code (OJ L 269, 10.10.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/952/oj).

(3) Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (OJ L 256, 7.9.1987, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1987/2658/oj).