POULTRY IMPORT REGIME
Letter from Lord Rooker, Minister of State
for Sustainable Farming and Food, Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs to the Chairman
I am writing to let you know that a negotiating
mandate was agreed as an "A" point at the Economic and
Finance Council on 5 May 2006 authorising the Commission to open
negotiations with Thailand and Brazil on the import regime of
certain cuts of poultry.
As a result of a World Trade Organisation dispute
panel ruling the European Commission will need to amend its description
of certain cuts of poultry. In order to avoid this leading to
a disruptive increase in imports of poultry into the EU and potential
collapse of the EU poultry market, the Commission has proposed
that the current bound tariff rate for salted meat (including
poultry) be replaced by a tariff rate quota reflecting future
trade prospects. The Commission will need to offer Brazil and
Thailand compensation for these changes under the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade. These negotiations will also include prepared
or preserved chicken meat to avoid import substitution.
In accordance with the usual procedure, an Explanatory
Memorandum will be submitted once the negotiations are completed.
16 May 2006
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