Westelijke Balkanlanden behouden vrijstelling voor importtarieven van de EU (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Europees Parlement (EP), gepubliceerd op donderdag 13 oktober 2011, 12:28.

Western Balkan countries will continue to benefit from duty-free access to EU markets for nearly all products until the end of 2015. A prolongation of their duty-free access, which otherwise would have ceased at the end of 2010, was approved by Parliament on Thursday. The modified rules will apply retroactively, from 1 January 2011.

Parliament's resolution, tabled by Vital Moreira (S&D, PT), was adopted on Thursday, with 605 votes in favour, 20 against and 18 abstentions.

In their negotiations with the Council, MEPs made sure that the Commission will be able to suspend concessions if imports of agricultural and fishery products cause serious disturbances to EU markets.

The exceptional trade preferences benefit countries and territories taking part in the Stabilisation and Association Process (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia).

Procedure:Co-decision, 1st reading