(1)

The Commission has examined the application for the approval of an amendment to the specification for the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Tacoronte-Acentejo’, sent by Spain in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

(2)

The Commission has published the application for the approval of an amendment to the specification in the Official Journal of the European Union, as required by Article 97(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 (2).

(3)

No statement of objection has been received by the Commission under Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

(4)

The amendment to the specification should therefore be approved in accordance with Article 99 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,

(1)

In accordance with Article 97(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the Commission has examined the application to register the name ‘Vijlen’ sent by the Netherlands and has published it in the Official Journal of the European Union (2).

(2)

No statement of objection has been received by the Commission under Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

(3)

In accordance with Article 99 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the name ‘Vijlen’ should be protected and entered in the register referred to in Article 104 of that Regulation.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,

(1)

In accordance with Article 97(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the Commission has examined the application to register the name ‘Oolde’ sent by the Netherlands and has published it in the Official Journal of the European Union (2).

(2)

No statement of objection has been received by the Commission under Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

(3)

In accordance with Article 99 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the name ‘Oolde’ should be protected and entered in the register referred to in Article 104 of that Regulation.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,

(1)

Tax fraud in the field of value added tax (VAT) leads to considerable budget losses and has an impact on the operation of the internal market.

(2)

Article 199a of Council Directive 2006/112/EC (3) allows Member States to provide that the person liable for payment of VAT on supplies listed in that Article is the taxable person to whom the supply is made (the ‘reverse charge mechanism’) in order to promptly tackle the problem of the missing trader fraud in intra-Community trade (MTIC). Member States may apply this mechanism until 31 December 2018 and for a minimum period of two years.

(3)

The Quick Reaction Mechanism (QRM) special measure set out in Article 199b of Directive 2006/112/EC offers Member States a faster procedure that allows the introduction of the reverse charge mechanism as regards specific supplies of goods and services in order to combat sudden and massive fraud liable to lead to considerable and irreparable financial losses. In accordance with Article 3 of Council Directive 2013/42/EU (4), Member States may apply the QRM special measure until 31 December 2018.

(4)

On 8 March 2018, the Commission presented a report to the Council and the European Parliament on the effects of Articles 199a and 199b of Directive 2006/112/EC on combatting fraud (the ‘report’).

(5)

According to the report, Member States and stakeholders generally consider the reverse charge mechanism set out in Article 199a of Directive 2006/112/EC as an effective and efficient temporary tool in fighting VAT fraud in the given sectors or in preventing the fraud from taking place. The requirement of a minimum period of two years for the application of the measure laid down in Article 199a(1) of Directive 2006/112/EC proved to be an impediment to certain Member States wishing to introduce the reverse charge mechanism and not fulfilling this condition. Consequently, the requirement of a minimum period of two years should be removed from that provision.

(6)

Although the QRM special measure set out in Article 199b of Directive 2006/112/EC has never been used effectively, Member States consider that it should remain a useful tool and a precautionary measure against exceptional cases of VAT fraud.

(7)

Given the findings and the conclusion of the report, it appears that the measures set out in Articles 199a and 199b of Directive 2006/112/EC have proven to be useful temporary and targeted measures to fight VAT fraud. Those measures are to expire on 31 December 2018 and this would deprive Member States of an efficient tool to fight VAT fraud. It is therefore appropriate to prolong the application of those measures for a limited period of time, until the envisaged entry into force of the definitive VAT regime.

(8)

Directive 2006/112/EC should therefore be amended accordingly,

(1)

in Article 199a(1), the introductory words are replaced by the following:

‘Until 30 June 2022, Member States may provide that the person liable for the payment of VAT is the taxable person to whom any of the following supplies are made:’;

(2)

Article 199b is replaced by the following:

(*1)  Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission's exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13)."

(*2)  Council Regulation (EU) No 904/2010 of 7 October 2010 on administrative cooperation and combating fraud in the field of value added tax (OJ L 268, 12.10.2010, p. 1).’;"

(3)

in Article 395, paragraph 5 is deleted.

(1)

Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 provides that the European Parliament and the Council are to appoint the European Chief Prosecutor, by common accord, from a shortlist of qualified candidates drawn up by a selection panel. The selection panel is to be comprised of 12 persons that are to be chosen from former members of the Court of Justice and the Court of Auditors, former national members of Eurojust, members of national supreme courts, high level prosecutors and lawyers of recognised competence. One of the persons chosen is to be proposed by the European Parliament. The Council is to establish the operating rules of the selection panel.

(2)

Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 also provides that the Council is to appoint each European Prosecutor from amongst three candidates nominated by each Member State after having received a reasoned opinion from the selection panel.

(3)

The procedure for the selection of the European Chief Prosecutor and of European Prosecutors should be a key element to ensure their independence.

(4)

The operating rules of the selection panel should ensure that the selection panel has the necessary independence and impartiality to carry out its work.

(5)

The operating rules of the selection panel should therefore be established,

(1)

Action by the Union in the sector of inland navigation should aim to ensure uniformity in the development of technical requirements for inland waterway vessels to be applied in the Union.

(2)

The European Committee for drawing up standards in the field of inland navigation (CESNI) was created on 3 June 2015 in the framework of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) in order to develop technical standards for inland waterways in various fields, in particular as regards vessels, information technology and crew.

(3)

For efficient transport on the inland waterways, it is important that the technical requirements for vessels be compatible and as harmonised as possible under different legal regimes in Europe. In particular, Member States which are also members of the CCNR should be authorised to support decisions harmonising the CCNR rules with those applied in the Union.

(4)

CESNI is expected to adopt the European Standard laying down Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels (ES-TRIN) 2019/1 at its meeting on 8 November 2018.

(5)

ES-TRIN 2019/1 lays down uniform technical requirements necessary to ensure the safety of inland waterway vessels. It includes: provisions regarding shipbuilding, fitting-out and equipment for inland waterway vessels; special provisions regarding specific categories of vessels, such as passenger vessels, pushed convoys and container vessels; provisions regarding the automatic identification system equipment; provisions regarding vessel identification; models of certificates and register; transitional provisions; and instructions for the application of the technical standard.

(6)

Annex II to Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) directly refers to technical requirements for craft as being those set out in ES-TRIN 2017/1. The Commission is empowered to update that reference to the most recent version of ES-TRIN and to set the date of its application.

(7)

Therefore, ES-TRIN 2019/1 will affect Directive (EU) 2016/1629.

(8)

The Union is a member of neither the CCNR nor CESNI. It is therefore necessary for the Council to authorise the Member States to express within those bodies the position of the Union as regards the adoption of ES-TRIN 2019/1,

(1)

African swine fever is an infectious viral disease affecting domestic and feral pig populations and can have a severe impact on the profitability of pig farming causing disturbance to trade within the Union and exports to third countries.

(2)

In the event of a case of African swine fever in feral pigs, there is a risk that the disease agent may spread to other feral pig populations and to pig holdings. As a result, it may spread from one Member State to another Member State and to third countries through trade in live pigs or their products.

(3)

Council Directive 2002/60/EC (3) lays down minimum measures to be applied within the Union for the control of African swine fever. In particular, Article 15 of Directive 2002/60/EC provides for certain measures to be taken following the confirmation of one or more cases of African swine fever in feral pigs.

(4)

Bulgaria has informed the Commission of the current African swine fever situation on its territory, and in accordance with Article 15 of Directive 2002/60/EC, has taken a number of measures including the establishment of an infected area, where the measures referred to in Article 15 of that Directive are applied, in order to prevent the spread of that disease.

(5)

In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to identify at Union level the infected area for African swine fever in Bulgaria in collaboration with that Member State.

(6)

Accordingly, the infected area in Bulgaria should be listed in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation fixed. The duration of the regionalisation was established considering the epidemiology of the disease and the time required to implement the measures in line with Directive 2002/60/EC.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,