Considerations on COM(2019)430 - EU position within the Association Council EU-Lebanon on amending the definition of the concept of 'originating products' and methods of administrative cooperation - Main contents
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| dossier | COM(2019)430 - EU position within the Association Council EU-Lebanon on amending the definition of the concept of 'originating products' ... |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2019)430  |
| date | September 25, 2019 |
(2) The Agreement includes Protocol 4 concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation. Pursuant to Article 38 of that Protocol, the Association Council established by Article 74(1) of the Agreement (“Association Council”) may decide to amend its provisions.
(3) The Association Council, during its next meeting is to adopt a Decision on an amendment of Protocol 4.
(4) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the Association Council as the Association Council Decision will be binding on the Union.
(5) The Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin (‘the Convention’) was concluded by the Union by Council Decision 2013/93/EU 4 and entered into force in relation to the Union on 1 May 2012. It lays down provisions on the origin of goods traded under relevant agreements concluded between the Contracting Parties, which apply without prejudice to the principles laid down in those agreements.
(6) Article 6 of the Convention provides that each Contracting Party is to take appropriate measures to ensure that the Convention is effectively applied. To that effect, the Association Council should adopt a decision introducing in Protocol 4 to the Agreement a reference to the Convention.
(7) The discussions on amending the Convention have resulted in a new set of modernised and more flexible rules of origin to be incorporated into the Convention. The Union and Lebanon have signalled their will to apply the new rules as soon as possible bilaterally, on an alternative basis alongside the current rules while awaiting the final outcome of the amending process.
(8) In the context of amending the Convention, Lebanon has formulated to the Union a request for more flexible rules of origin for certain textile products, in order to allow garments produced from imported tissues to be regarded as originating under the Agreement. In the light of the serious effects of the Syrian refugee crisis on Lebanon and given the limited development of the Lebanese textiles sector, the Council, on behalf of the Union, considers it justified to agree to more relaxed rules of origin for certain textile products within limited annual quotas.