Niveau juridique : France
Texte de la question :
« In April 2019, EU Member States granted third country status to meat products from the United Kingdom in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, thereby offering some degree of future certainty to UK companies and their EU partners in that sector.
However, no such agreement has been reached regarding the export of grown potatoes and potato seeds from the UK to EU partners. The current unlisted status of this crop will result in an existential threat to the business of UK exporters whose trade is principally conducted with partners in the EU.
1 Does the Commission recognise the importance of providing businesses in this sector with the clarity that they need to facilitate future planning?
2 Will the Commission confirm third country status for grown and seed potatoes exported to the EU by UK companies, and how long might this confirmation take?
3 Would potatoes from the UK be subject to additional phytosanitary certifications in the event of Brexit? »
Réponse donnée par Ms Kyriakideson au nom de la Commission le 28 février 2020
« The phytosanitary conditions concerning the movement of potatoes within the Union are set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 (1), and in particular in points 3 to 11 of Annex VIII.According to Article 127 of the Withdrawal Agreement (2), Union law, including Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, shall be applicable to and in the United Kingdom (UK) during the transitional period, which expires on 31 December 2020 unless extended in accordance with the terms of that Agreement. During the transitional period, the applicable Union law shall produce in respect of and in the UK the same legal effects as those which it produces within the Union and its Member States, and shall be interpreted and applied in accordance with the same methods and general principles as those applicable within the Union.This means that nothing will change for the professional operators during the transitional period. They will continue exporting their potatoes from the UK to the EU as they did before the withdrawal date. However, and if not otherwise agreed so under any new trade agreement or other legal act, the UK will be treated as third country under the rules of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 after the expiration of the transitional period, namely 31 December 2020. This practically means that potatoes originating from the UK (with the exception of the ones from Northern Ireland) will not be allowed to be imported into the EU. This will apply to ware potatoes as well as seed potatoes. »
(1) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 of 28 November 2019 establishing uniform conditions for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards protective measures against pests of plants, and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 690/2008 and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 - OJ L 319, 10.12.2019, p. 1–279
(2) Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, OJ C 384 I, p. 1
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