{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2020-13/annex-ADDENDUM/division-3/division-3.2/division-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2020-13/annex-ADDENDUM/division-3/division-3.2/division-2.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2020/13",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision (EU) 2020/13 of 19 December 2019 amending the negotiating directives for the negotiation of Economic Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and regions, to the extent that they fall within the competence of the Union",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2020-13",
  "path": "annex/ADDENDUM/division/3/division/3.2/division/2",
  "kind": "division",
  "number": "—",
  "heading": "Imports into the ACP countries",
  "text": "With the overriding objective of promoting sustainable development through regional economic integration and adequate policies, negotiations will pursue (1) the elimination of customs duties on imports from the European Union for substantially all trade over the course of a transitional period, (2) the abolishing of all charges having equivalent effect to customs duties upon the application of EPAs and (3) the removal of quantitative restrictions and measures having equivalent effect upon the application of the EPAs.\nThe timetable for tariff dismantling and the final product coverage of trade liberalisation by the ACP countries will reflect the economic, social and environmental constraints they are facing as well as their capacity to adapt their economies to the liberalisation process. Therefore, a transitional period, compatible with the objectives of the Cotonou Agreement, its successor agreement and WTO rules, will be applied in a flexible way, to take into account specific constraints of the ACP countries concerned. The same flexibility will be applied in relation to product coverage and the calendar/rhythm of liberalisation commitments by the ACP countries.\nNotwithstanding the above, ACP countries shall grant to the European Union at any time treatment no less favourable than MFN treatment. This does not apply with respect to concessions made between ACP countries or by ACP countries to other developing countries, which are not major trading economies, in the framework of regional agreements or other trade provisions compatible with WTO requirements.\nDuring the negotiations, and in the light of Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the EPAs reached in the framework of the Cotonou Agreement and its successor agreement, once applicable, account will be taken of the specific interests of the European Union’s outermost regions. In this context, EPAs may in particular provide for specific measures in favour of products from these regions, aimed at their integration into intra-regional trade in the short term, in accordance with the provision of the WTO. In the light of the Overseas Association Decision, overseas countries' and territories' interests should also be taken into account.\nThe ACP countries shall undertake, at least, to extend automatically the treatment granted to the European Union to all other parties of the EPA concerned, preferably ahead of trade liberalisation vis-à-vis the European Union.\nWhere serious difficulties occur as a result of trade liberalisation, the ACP countries may, in consultation with the European Union, temporarily suspend the application of the liberalisation schedule and, where necessary, re-modulate or adjust the rate of progress towards the ultimate establishment of the free trade area, in full conformity with the provisions of the WTO.\nThe trade liberalisation plans and schedule of the ACP countries shall be part of EPAs. It shall include the appropriate product lists, as well as timetables for tariff dismantling. These lists and timetables will be finalised during the negotiations.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Decision No 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union ('Overseas Association Decision'), OJ L 344, 19.12.2013, p. 1."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2020/13/annex/ADDENDUM/division/3/division/3.2/division/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:12:26.731393+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."
}