Under the terms of the Cooperation Agreements signed with these countries, these grain imports enjoy preferential systems based on reductions of or exemption from the EU's
variable levies. Under the 1994 Agreement on Agriculture concluded under the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, the EU has undertaken to apply a system of charging for the
variable levies and replace them by customs duties from July 1, 1995 onwards.
The broad definition of NTMs includes certain para-tariff measures, import deposits and surcharges,
variable levies, anti-dumping/countervailing duty actions (including investigations, duties, and undertakings), quantitative restrictions (including quotas/prohibitions, restraints under the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA), non-automatic licenses, voluntary export restraints, state monopolies), import surveillance, automatic licenses, and certain price control measures.