The Council unanimously adopted a regulation opening autonomous EU tariff quotas (ATQs) for certain fishery products for the years 2024-2026. Photo: European Union
In a unanimous decision, the European Council has approved a regulation introducing autonomous EU tariff quotas (ATQs) for specific fishery products over the years 2024, 2025, and 2026.
The regulation also establishes guidelines for the management of these quotas, aiming to sustain the EU’s fish processing industry by facilitating the import of raw materials from non-EU nations at reduced or duty-free rates.
The primary objective of this newly enacted regulation is to ensure the competitiveness of the EU’s fish processing sector while maintaining a balance between imported and EU-produced fishery products. The ATQs have been set with careful consideration of their potential impact on EU suppliers, ensuring equitable competition.
Spanish Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas Puchades, stated, “With this regulation, we have safeguarded the competitiveness of our fish processing industry and the supply of European consumers with quality processed fishery products at reasonable prices.”
ATQs in Practice
The European Union has increasingly relied on imports to meet the demand for fishery products, either due to the absence of these products in the EU or insufficient domestic production. To safeguard EU production and maintain a consistent supply for processing industries, the Council has consistently adopted ATQs.
The tariff quotas pertain only to products imported for further processing within the EU. The current regulation covers specific fishery products, suspending or reducing duties for a limited volume from 2024 to 2026. The duty and volume specifications are unique to each product.
Exclusions Based on Geopolitical Developments
Given the strained relations between the EU and Russia, and to align with the EU’s position on external actions, fishery products from Russia will not benefit from duty-free treatment under this regulation. Additionally, due to the deteriorating relations with Belarus and its extensive support for the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Belarusian fishery products are also excluded from the regulation’s scope.
Next Steps
The regulation is set to come into force twenty days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, applying from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026. The Commission and member states will jointly manage the tariff quotas based on the existing first-come-first-served tariff-quota management system.
Source: Press Release
