—

having regard to the Commission delegated regulation (C(2018)08872),

—

having regard to the letter from the Committee on International Trade to the Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs of 28 January 2019,

—

having regard to Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

—

having regard to Regulation (EC) No 184/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 January 2005 on Community statistics concerning balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment (1), and in particular Articles 2(3) and 10(6) thereof,

—

having regard to the recommendation for a decision of the Committee on International Trade,

—

having regard to Rule 105(6) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas the United Kingdom submitted on 29 March 2017 the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union; whereas the Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification, that is to say from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period;

B.

whereas Regulation (EC) No 184/2005 establishes a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics on balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment;

C.

whereas withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union would have the consequence that the United Kingdom would become a third country and therefore Community statistics concerning balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment would have to reflect the United Kingdom as a third country, rather than a Member State;

D.

whereas the only modifications that the delegated regulation C(2018)08872 provides are to classify the United Kingdom as a third country for the purposes of application of Regulation (EC) No 184/2005;

E.

whereas swift publication of the delegated regulation in the Official Journal of the EU would allow for more legal certainty and appropriate time for implementation before 30 March 2019;

1.

2.