30.12.2014 Official Journal of the European Union L 372/5 REGULATION (EU) No 1384/2014 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 18 December 2014 on the tariff treatment for goods originating in Ecuador THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (1), Whereas: (1) Article 329 of the Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia and Peru, of the other part (3 (the Agreement) signed on 26 June 2012, provides for the possible accession to the Agreement of other Member Countries of the Andean Community. (2)  Following the request by Ecuador to restart negotiations with the Union to become a Party to the Agreement, negotiations were conducted between the Union and Ecuador in 2014. As a result of those negotiations, a Protocol of Accession by Ecuador to the Agreement (‘the Protocol of Accession’) was initialled on 12 December 2014. (3)  Following the initialling of the Protocol of Accession, an interim reciprocal arrangement is necessary for the establishment of a free-trade area with Ecuador in order to avoid unnecessary trade disruption. Therefore, as from 1 January 2015, customs duties applied on the date of initialling of the Protocol of Accession should not be increased nor new customs duties applied to goods originating in Ecuador. (4 This Regulation therefore provides for the maintenance of the level of duty rates applicable to goods originating in Ecuador on 12 December 2014 as from 1 January 2015. (5)  The tariff treatment provided for under this Regulation is without prejudice to measures taken under Council Regulations (EC) No 260/2009 (%), (EC) No 597/2009 () or (EC) No 1225/2009 (%). (6)  As a condition for the application of the tariff treatment provided for under this Regulation, Ecuador should abstain from introducing new duties or charges having equivalent effect and new quantitative restrictions or measures having equivalent effect for imports from the Union, or from increasing existing levels of duties or charges or from introducing any other restrictions from 12 December 2014. (7  To ensure that Ecuador maintains its commitment to core international conventions on human and labour rights, environmental protection and good governance, the application of this Regulation should be subject to the continued and effective implementation of those conventions by Ecuador. (8)  In order to prevent any risk of fraud, the entitlement to benefit from the tariff treatment provided for under this Regulation should be conditional on compliance by Ecuador with the relevant rules of origin of goods and the procedures related thereto. (9) It is necessary to provide for the application of Common Customs Tariff duties with regard to any goods originating in Ecuador which cause, or threaten to cause, serious difficulties to Union producers of like or directly competing products, subject to an investigation by the Commission. (1) Position of the European Parliament of 17 December 2014 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 18 December 2014. () OJ L 354, 21.12.2012, p. 3. (%) Council Regulation (EC) No 260/2009 of 26 February 2009 on the common rules for imports (O] L 84, 31.3.2009, p. 1). (*) Council Regulation (EC) No 597/2009 of 11 June 2009 on protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Community (O] L 188, 18.7.2009, p. 93). (°) Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 of 30 November 2009 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (O] L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 51).