{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2013-500/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2013-500/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2013/500",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision of 7 October 2013 establishing the position to be taken by the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the request for extending the WTO waiver on additional autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Republic of Moldova (2013/500/EU)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2013-500",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision\nof 7 October 2013\nestablishing the position to be taken by the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the request for extending the WTO waiver on additional autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Republic of Moldova\n(2013/500/EU)\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the European Commission,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nArticle IX of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (‘WTO Agreement’) sets out the procedures for the granting of waivers concerning the Multilateral Trade Agreements in Annex 1A, 1B or 1C to the WTO Agreement and their annexes.\n(2)\nCouncil Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 was amended by Regulation (EU) No 581/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council, to extend the autonomous trade preferences granted to the Republic of Moldova (‘Moldova’) until 31 December 2015 and adjust the tariff rate quotas for certain agricultural products. Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 provides free access to the Union market of all products originating in Moldova, except certain agricultural products listed in Annex I to that Regulation. The products listed in that Annex benefit from limited concessions in the form of exemption from customs duties within the limit of tariff quotas or reduction of customs duties. Further extensions of the scope of the preferences set out in Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 may be adopted to liberalise import of wine from Moldova.\n(3)\nIn the absence of a waiver from the Union’s obligations under paragraph 1 of Article I and Article XIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, to the extent necessary, the treatment provided by these autonomous trade preferences would need to be extended to all other Members of the WTO.\n(4)\nIt is in the interest of the Union to request an extension of the WTO waiver on autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to Moldova pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article IX of the WTO Agreement to permit the Union to afford duty-free or preferential treatment to products originating in Moldova, including certain agricultural products for which limited concessions are given as defined in the Annex to this Decision, without being required to extend the same duty-free or preferential treatment to like products of any other WTO Member until 31 December 2015.\n(5)\nThe Union is to submit such a request to the WTO.\n(6)\nIt is appropriate, therefore, to establish the position to be taken by the Union within the WTO General Council concerning the request,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 of 21 January 2008 introducing autonomous trade preferences for the Republic of Moldova and amending Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 and Commission Decision 2005/924/EC (OJ L 20, 24.1.2008, p. 1)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "Regulation (EU) No 581/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on amending Council Regulation (EC) No 55/2008 introducing autonomous trade preferences for the Republic of Moldova (OJ L 165, 24.6.2011, p. 5)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2013/500/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:14:59.965673+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}