The European Union Decision Covering Poultry and Egg Imports

On October 25, 2006, the Official Journal of the European Union published Commission Decision 2006/696/EC laying down a list of third countries from which poultry, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, meat of poultry, ratites and wild game-birds, egg and egg products and specified pathogen-free eggs may be imported into and transit through the Community and the applicable veterinary certification conditions, and amend Decisions 93/342/EEC, 200/585/EC and 2003/812/EC.

The new directive consolidates legislation from some 13 different directives and includes the list of third countries and regions within them authorized to export these products to the EU. The aim of this new Decision is to harmonize and simplify the import conditions for poultry and poultry products and to make the EU rules in this area clearer and more transparent for the EU’s trade partners. Third countries have 6 months from the day of publication of this Decision to adapt to the new conditions set out in the veterinary certificates.

Eggs, egg products, meat, minced meat and mechanically separated meat of poultry, ratites and wild game-birds may be only be imported into the Community from a third country or a part thereof listed in columns 1 and 3 of the table in Part I of Annex II where column 4 of that table provides for a model veterinary certificate for eggs, egg products, meat, minced meat and mechanically separated meat of poultry, ratites and wild game-birds.

EU: New Quotas and Tariff

s The European Commission concluded an agreement with Brazil on a new regime for imports of salted poultry meat, preparations of turkey meat and cooked chicken into the EU. The Commission conducted negotiations with WTO Members having negotiating rights: Brazil, for salted poultry meat (HS code 0210 99 39), for turkey meat (HS code 1602 31) and for cooked chicken meat (HS1602 32 19). Negotiations with Thailand have not been concluded.

The agreement modifies the current bound tariff rate concession for the three items in question and foresees the creation of three new tariff rate quotas.

Salted meat preparations have a current bound tariff rate of 15.4% with no volume restrictions. The new concession keeps the tariff rate at 15.4% but limits imports of salted meat to 264,245 metric tons. The out-of-quota rate will be 1,300€/ton. The allocation for Brazil will be 170,807 MT.

Turkey meat preparations have a current tariff rate of 8.5% with no volume restrictions. The new concession keeps the tariff rate at 8.5% but limits imports of turkey meat preparations to 103,896 MT. Any amount over the limit will be subject to a rate of 1,024€/ton. Brazil’s allocation will be 92,300 MT.

Cooked chicken has a current tariff rate of 10.9% and under the new concessions there will be a limited of 230,453 MT with an out-ofquota rate of 1,024€/ton. Brazil’s allocation will be 73,000 MT. The European Union imports about 80% of all processed broiler exports from Brazil.

Thai chicken producers are worried about the EU’s new chicken import quota. Thailand will be left with a maximum quota of around 157,000 MT after Brazil’s allocation of 73,000 MT out of a total of 230,453 MT. The EU is Thailand’s second biggest export market after Japan. Thailand’s further processed broiler meat exports to the EU totaled 106,503 MT in 2005, 65% of the EU’s total imports of cooked chicken (163,120 MT in 2005). Thai exports in 2003 were 61,105 MT which was 60% of EU imports of 101,495 MT cooked chicken. Thai exports grew 75% between 1003 and 2005.

For the first seven months in 2006, Thailand’s further processed broiler meat exports to the EU totaled 67,551 MT compared to 55,951 for January-July 2005. According to WTO rules the negotiations could possibly lead to compensation for Thailand for loss of trade resulting from the changes.

Thai exports of uncooked poultry products to the EU have been suspended since January 2004 due to the presence of avian influenza in Thailand. Cooked products are not affected by this measure. Earlier this year the EU announced they would prolong the ban on raw (uncooked) poultry products from Thailand and other HPAI affected Asian countries until 2007.
Source: European Commission Press Release, USDA/FAS, news wires

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