The European Court of Auditors on March 14 issued a report on the European Union’s system for monitoring organic products, including imports. According to the report, EU member state monitoring of organic products and importers is still incomplete, and import supervision could be improved by better cooperation between member states and with the exporting countries. The report also discusses changes to the EU’s equivalence scheme that will set more stringent requirements for countries allowed to export organic products to the EU, as well as the EU’s work improving its monitoring of organic exporters to the EU, particularly in China.

In the March 15 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

In the March 14 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue and Customs is delaying the effective date of a new policy interpretation that bars customs agents from using their own simplified procedure authorizations for customers that they directly represent. In a memo issued in August 2018, HMRC confirmed that authorization holders for certain simplified procedures -- including inward processing, outward processing relief, temporary admission and private customs warehousing -- must make declarations using these simplified procedures in their own name. “Where an agent wants to use their own simplified authorisation on behalf of a customer, they need to represent that customer indirectly, as the declaration must be made in the name of the person who holds the authorisation,” HMRC had said. The policy had been set to take effect April 1, at which point HMRC would have been set to “consider civil penalty action” for violations. But given that “there are multiple pressures on UK import and export business at this time,” HMRC will now allow until Oct. 1, 2019, for the change to take effect.

The European Union recently issued a guidance document on trade and customs procedures for the EU after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom if there is no deal between the EU and U.K, according to a posting on the Malta Customs website. The guidance includes information on country of origin status, entry requirements, special duty-free classification and special procedures including transit, warehousing and inward and outward processing.

In the March 13 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

In the March 12 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The European Union issued a notice in the March 11 Official Journal announcing adjustments to certain tariff-rate quotas for agricultural products that will take effect once the United Kingdom leaves the EU or a negotiated transition period ends. The new regulation also sets provisions on treatment of TRQ import licenses issued by U.K. customs authorities after Brexit, as well as how TRQs that have already opened and been partially used will be apportioned on the day the U.K. leaves.

In the March 8 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The European Commission is seeking comments on “potential areas for regulatory cooperation” between the EU and the U.S. stemming from a trade agreement reached between the two sides in July 2018, the commission said in a notice. The commission is seeking feedback on three main categories, including “conformity assessment,” which asks for input on any barriers or administrative burdens faced by exporters in trans-Atlantic trade. The second category, “dialogue on standards,” asks for comments about creating trade “standards ... where no standards exist yet,” such as “robotics and technical textiles.” The commission added that cooperation in this area “could bring trade benefits,” such as a reduction in adaptation costs for exporters. The third category, “regulatory cooperation in sectors,” asks for suggestions on “concrete initiatives for regulatory cooperation in sectors with the potential of facilitating bilateral trade.” All comments should be made in written submissions to the European Commission and will be made public, the notice said. Comments must be submitted by April 23.