On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the non-application of customs duties on imports of certain goods

PA_LegEvaluation

BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT

for the Committee on International Trade on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the non-application of customs duties on imports of certain goods

(COM(2025)0472 – C100192/2025 – 2025/0260(COD))

The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:

A. whereas the proposal seeks to extend, for an indefinite period, the non-application of custom duties on imports from the United States of America (the ‘United States’) into the Union of types of lobsters covered by Regulation (EU) 2020/2131 (the ‘Regulation’) and to expand its scope to include processed (i.e. prepared) lobster, as agreed in a Joint Statement (the ‘Joint Statement’) between the United States and Commission President von der Leyen on 27 July 2025 on a Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair and Balanced Trade; whereas the application of the Regulation was deemed to expire on 31 July 2025, and the proposal provides for retroactive application from 1 August 2025, thereby ensuring continuity without any gap in its application;

B. whereas custom duties represent a well-established source of revenue stemming from the EU trade policy and are part of the Traditional Own Resource of the EU budget; whereas Traditional Own Resources account for around 10-15% of total own resources revenue, corresponding in 2025 to EUR 22,2 billion;

C. whereas the own resources system is designed in a way to absorb fluctuations of income through the adjustment of the call rate of GNI-based contributions -operating as a balancing net item - compensating any reduction in the share of revenue, in line with Article 2(1)(d) of the Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom;

D. whereas in 2024 the total value of imports from the United States of lobster and lobster products covered by the Regulation amounted to EUR 72 million (22% of total extra-Union imports in this sector, which stood at EUR 320 million); whereas the EU is a major market for American lobsters, as in 2023 more than 39% of the United States’ total exports of lobster, prepared or preserved, was towards EU countries;

Conclusions of the budgetary assessment

1. Takes note that the estimated annual budgetary impact of the forgone import duties for certain types of lobster covered by the Regulation is estimated to be EUR 7.5 million and that the estimated annual budgetary impact of the non-application of custom duties for the prepared or processed lobster is approximately EUR 48 000; acknowledges the significance of the matter in the context of trade relations between the Union and the United States in fostering stable transatlantic trade relations;

2. Recalls the distinction between the total duties foregone and the effective loss of revenue to the Union budget, given that Member States retain 25% of collected duties as collection costs; recalls in this context the recent Commission proposal to lower the share of collection costs to 10% and reiterates that the European Parliament has traditionally supported an increase in the share of traditional and genuine own resources, especially customs duties, as new own resources are essential not only to enable repayment of Next Generation EU borrowing, but to ensure that the Union is equipped to respond to Europeans’ needs by investing jointly in what matters;

3. Notes that the effect on the Union's overall revenues resulting from the proposed extension of the validity period and the inclusion of the additional product category is limited, yet not insignificant, and does not excessively impact the overall level of revenue of the Union; determines its compatibility with the current multiannual financial framework and the system of own resources and the corresponding interinstitutional agreement; notes, as well, that the proposal does not have any relevant impact on expenditure;

4. Determines that the proposal is compatible with the budgetary principles established by the Financial Regulation.

As part of its budgetary assessment, the Committee on Budgets also submits the following amendments to the draft proposal:

Amendment 1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital [7] a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

([7]a) The implications of this Regulation for the Union budget have been assessed+ pursuant to Article 310(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Sufficient financial and human resources should be provided for its implementation, while considering the impact of the financing on other Union programmes or policies and ensuring its compatibility with the multiannual financial framework, the system of own resources and the corresponding interinstitutional agreement, as well as with the budgetary principles laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

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+ Pro memoria: Budgetary assessment of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets of [... 2025] on the proposal for a Regulation on of the European Parliament and of the Council the non-application of customs duties on imports of certain goods / ...] ([COM(2025)0472 / ..../....]).

[1] Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj).

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