Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2016-17
UPN Alm.del Bilag 64
Offentligt
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Council of the
European Union
14266/16
(OR. en)
PROVISIONAL VERSION
PRESSE 55
PR CO 54
EN
OUTCOME OF THE COUNCIL MEETING
3496th Council meeting
Foreign Affairs
Trade issues
Brussels, 11 November 2016
President
Peter �½iga
Minister for Economy of the Slovak Republic
PRESS
Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026
[email protected] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press
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PROVISIONAL VERSION
11 November 2016
CONTENTS
1
ITEMS DEBATED
Trade defence instruments - New anti-dumping methodology............................................................ 3
WTO: follow-up to Nairobi conference ............................................................................................... 3
EU-US trade and investment negotiations ........................................................................................... 4
EU- Japan free trade agreement ........................................................................................................... 5
EU- Mercosur free trade agreement ..................................................................................................... 5
OTHER ITEMS APPROVED
TRADE POLICY
–
–
Ecuador - accession to the EU-Columbia/Peru trade agreement ............................................................................. 6
GATT - Brazil - Croatia .......................................................................................................................................... 6
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA
–
46th meeting of the EEA Council ............................................................................................................................ 6
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
–
–
–
Schengen - Internal border controls ......................................................................................................................... 6
Schengen Evaluation - Netherlands ......................................................................................................................... 7
Schengen Evaluation - Italy..................................................................................................................................... 7
INDUSTRY
–
Motor vehicles - Technical prescriptions for type-approval .................................................................................... 7
1

Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions have been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated
in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.
 
Documents for which references are given in the text are available on the Council's internet site
(http://www.consilium.europa.eu).
 
Acts adopted with statements for the Council minutes which may be released to the public are indicated by
an asterisk; these statements are available on the Council's internet site or may be obtained from the Press
Office.
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PROVISIONAL VERSION
ITEMS DEBATED
Trade defence instruments - New anti-dumping methodology
11 November 2016
The Council discussed the 2013 Commission proposal for a
modernisation of the EU's trade
defence instruments.
The discussion focused on the 'lesser duty rule' on the basis of a compromise
paper presented by the presidency. Ministers expressed their willingness to find a compromise on
all aspects of the modernisation of trade defence instruments before the end of the year as mandated
by the European Council.
The EU's trade defence instruments are aimed at tackling unfair competition by foreign companies.
Anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties are used to shield EU producers from damage caused by
unfair trade practices. In anti-dumping cases the lesser duty rule involves applying the dumping
margin at a lower level if sufficient to eliminate the injury to the industry.
Ministers also took note of the Commission proposal fora
new anti-dumping methodology,
presented on 9 November 2016. The Council agreed to work on it in a speedy manner and to
continue discussions at a technical level.
This new methodology is timely in the context of the upcoming expiration of certain WTO
provisions allowing to treat, inter alia, China as a non-market economy in anti-dumping cases. This
proposal would not grant market economy status to any country. It would be country neutral and
could be applied equally to all members of the World Trade Organisation.
Commission proposal for the modernisation of trade defence instruments, 2013
Commission proposal on a new anti-dumping and anti-subsidies methodology, 9 November 2016
European Council conclusions, 21 October 2016
Commission communication on EU trade policy, October 2016
WTO: follow-up to Nairobi conference
The Council discussed the way forward on the
'post-Nairobi' process,
focusing on a possible
package for the 11th WTO ministerial conference, scheduled for 2017.
The approach of the Commission includes several areas of focus such as fisheries subsidies,
transparency and good regulatory practices, domestic regulation in services, e-commerce and
agricultural domestic support.
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PROVISIONAL VERSION
11 November 2016
The 10th WTO ministerial conference took place in Nairobi in December 2015. It concluded with
agreement on a series of initiatives covering trade in agriculture and issues related to least-
developed countries (LDCs).
The Commission also presented the state of play of negotiations on two plurilateral agreements: the
trade in services agreement (TiSA)
and the
environmental goods agreement (EGA).
Developments on these are still expected before the end of the year.
TiSA is a trade agreement currently being negotiated by 23 members of the WTO, which seeks to
open up trade in services. EGA seeks to remove tariffs on a broad list of environmental goods and is
being negotiated by 17 WTO members.
WTO webpage on the outcome of the 10th ministerial conference
Commission webpage on TiSA
Commission webpage on EGA
EU-US trade and investment negotiations
The Council reviewed developments in negotiations on TTIP, the transatlantic trade and investment
partnership with the United States, particularly in the light of the US elections. The next steps in the
negotiations will need to be assessed once the new US administration is in place.
The most recent TTIP negotiating round was held in New York on the week of 3 October 2016,
with a focus on the consolidation of the text.
The Commission is leading the negotiations on behalf of the EU and its member states, on the basis
of a mandate agreed by the Council in June 2013. The Council decided in October 2014 to make
public its negotiating directives for the TTIP negotiations.
Report of the 15th TTIP round of negotiations
EU negotiating mandate for TTIP
Commission webpage on trade with the US
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PROVISIONAL VERSION
EU- Japan free trade agreement
11 November 2016
The Commission informed the Council of the state of play in negotiations on a free trade agreement
with Japan. It confirmed that, following calls by EU leaders, it is actively pursuing negotiations
with a view to reaching a political agreement by the end of the year.
Negotiations with Japan were launched in March 2013, on the basis of a mandate issued by the
Council in November 2012. The last round of negotiations took place in the week of 26 September
2016.
Japan is the EU’s second biggest trading partner in Asia (after China). Together, the EU and Japan
account for more than a third of the world’s GDP.
Commission webpage on trade with Japan
EU- Mercosur free trade agreement
The Commission informed the Council of the state of play in negotiations on a free trade agreement
with Mercosur, South America's largest economic bloc.
The aim is to conclude an agreement covering trade in industrial and agricultural goods, as well as
services, establishment and government procurement. The agreement would also involve the
improvement of rules in areas such as government procurement, intellectual property, customs and
trade facilitation and technical barriers to trade. It would be part of a region-to-region association
agreement with political and cooperation provisions.
Negotiations were launched in 2000 but were practically suspended between 2004 and 2010. At an
EU-Latin America and Caribbean (CELAC) summit in Brussels in June 2015, the EU reconfirmed
its commitment to a comprehensive free trade agreement with Mercosur. The last round of
negotiations took place from 10 to 14 October 2016 in Brussels.
Commission webpage on trade with Mercosur
Lunch item
Ministers discussed the lessons learnt from recent experiences delivering trade agreements. They
focused on how to set agreements on a stronger political footing, improve transparency and
communication and better use the time between the start of negotiations and the final conclusion.
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PROVISIONAL VERSION
OTHER ITEMS APPROVED
TRADE POLICY
Ecuador - accession to the EU-Columbia/Peru trade agreement
11 November 2016
The Council adopted a decision to sign and provisionally apply the protocol of accession of
Ecuador to the EU's free trade agreement with Colombia and Peru. The signature took place after
the Council meeting. For more information, see the
press release.
GATT - Brazil - Croatia
The Council approved decisions to sign and to request the consent of the European Parliament to
conclude an agreement with Brazil on the modification of Croatia's concessions under the 1994
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade following its accession to the EU (13779/16 +
13036/16
+
13037/16
+
13038/16).
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA
46th meeting of the EEA Council
The Council established the EU's common position for the 46th meeting of the European Economic
Area Council to take place in Brussels on 15 November 2016.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
Schengen - Internal border controls
The Council adopted an implementing decision setting out a recommendation for prolonging
temporary internal border control in exceptional circumstances putting the overall functioning of the
Schengen area at risk (13979/16).
For more information see
press release
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PROVISIONAL VERSION
Schengen Evaluation - Netherlands
11 November 2016
The Council adopted an implementing decision setting out a recommendation on addressing the
deficiencies identified in the 2015 evaluation on the application of the Schengen acquis in the field
of management of the external borders by The Netherlands (13817/16).
Schengen Evaluation - Italy
The Council adopted an implementing decision setting out a recommendation on addressing the
deficiencies identified in the 2016 evaluation of Italy on the application of the Schengen acquis in
the field of the common visa policy (13590/16)
INDUSTRY
Motor vehicles - Technical prescriptions for type-approval
The Council adopted a
decision
aimed at supporting certain amendments to UN regulations of the
agreement of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) concerning the
adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, which need to be adapted to
reflect technical progress.
The decision also includes support for:
–
–
–
a new UN regulation on heavy duty dual-fuel engine retrofit systems (HDDF-ERS)
amendments to UN global technical regulations 15 and 16
two new UN global technical regulations on the measurement procedure for two- or
three-wheeled motor vehicles with regard to certain types of emissions and to on-board
diagnostics
a new resolution on the common specification of light source categories (R.E.4)
–
UNECE
develops harmonised requirements intended to remove technical barriers to the trade in
motor vehicles between the contracting parties of the agreement. The EU is a contracting party to
this agreement and votes on behalf of the member states.
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