AGRIM (Agricultural Imports) and AGREX (Agricultural Exports) licenses are related to the process of import and export of some agricultural products from or to countries outside the European Union. Both AGRIM and AGREX fall under Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) regulations.
AGRIM and AGREX licenses
The list of products subject to the AGRIM or AGREX requirements (with CN codes) is included in the Annex to the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1237 of 18 May 2016. Export restrictions apply to rice and sugar, while import restrictions apply to sugar, rice, and other agricultural products.
The licenses are issued for a specific time and allow the import or export of a given product in specific quantities, or any quantities. These AGRIM and AGREX licenses also enable the European Union to monitor agricultural products’ trade flow between the EU’s Member States and third countries.
In addition, in certain cases, licenses allow compensating for the difference. In the case of exports, it compensates for the difference between products’ prices in the EU and outside the EU. When it comes to imports, compensations allow companies to benefit from reduced customs duties. Government agencies in each Member State provide the licenses. Usually, the responsible body is under the Ministry of Agriculture.
The license application must be submitted before 1 PM CEST for it to be accepted on that day.
Who can apply for an AGRIM and AGREX licenses?
The operator aiming to obtain a license must be established within the EU and be registered with the respective agency. Generally, an operator means a legal person or an individual holding an EORI number.
An application for an import and export license must be accompanied by sufficient security if required. In every Member States, security is not required if it comes to a 100 EUR threshold or less.
What data is required in the application?
The application must be completed in accordance with the rules set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1239. Data required in applications for AGRIM and AGREX:
- License issuing authority
- Data of the applicant
- Receiving/exporting country
- Total amount of security
- Types of products to be imported/exported
- Description in accordance with the Combined Nomenclature (CN)
- CN codes
- Quantity in figures and words
- Special particulars of products
