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On 18 April 2016, the Official Journal published Regulation (EU) 2016/580 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 April 2016 on the introduction of emergency autonomous trade measures for the Republic of Tunisia. The Regulation seeks to boost Tunisia’s economy following the terrorist attack of 26 June 2015 near Sousse, Tunisia by setting up an attractive and reliable market for Tunisia’s exports of olive oil by introducing autonomous trade measures allowing for the import of 35 000 tons of Tunisian olive oil into the Union on the basis of a duty free tariff quota. In order to prevent fraud and to ensure that the envisioned autonomous trade measures will really benefit the Tunisian economy, those measures are subject to compliance by Tunisia with the rules provided for in the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement regarding the origin of products and the procedures related thereto, as well as to Tunisia’s effective administrative cooperation with the Union. The duty free quota will apply to untreated olive oil originating in Tunisia and falling within CN codes 1509 10 10 and 1509 10 90 where such untreated olive oil is wholly obtained in Tunisia and transported directly from Tunisia to the Union. The additional volume generated by the autonomous trade measures is only made available after the exhaustion of the volume of the annual untreated olive oil duty free tariff quota laid down in Article 3(1) of Protocol No 1 to the Agreement. The emergency autonomous trade measures established by the Regulation are intended to alleviate the difficult economic situation, which Tunisia is currently facing, due to the terrorist attacks. The measures are limited in time (the Regulation applies until 31 December 2017) and are without prejudice to negotiations between the Union and Tunisia on the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). |
