On July 18, 2013, the European Commission stopped providing export subsidies for poultry exports.By ending this last export subsidy, the EU is following through on its Doha Round promise at the WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December 2005 to end all export subsidies by 2013.
Despite fierce resistance from France in the July 18, 2013 Management Committee (Mancom), the European Commission ended the last remaining export subsidy for the export of whole chicken carcasses. This export subsidy was the last remaining EU export subsidy in the animal sector and was
exclusively used by two French companies exporting whole chickens, primarily to the Middle East. The largest beneficiary was the Doux Company, which went bankrupt in 2012. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 689/2013 ending the export subsidy can be found at http://files.foodmate.com/2013/files_1963.html.
As EU export subsidies for arable crop products were terminated some time ago, it appears that the EU is following through on its Doha Round promise at the WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December 2005 to end all export subsidies by 2013. It should be noted, however, that the EU has not disbanded the export subsidy system, but merely reduced all subsidy levels to zero.
