Council Regulation (EC) No 2341/2000 of 17 October 2000 establishing certain concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for an adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with Latvia
Council Regulation (EC) No 2341/2000
of 17 October 2000
establishing certain concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for an adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with Latvia
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1) The Europe Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Latvia, of the other part(1), provides for certain concessions for certain agricultural products originating in Latvia.
(2) Improvements to the preferential agreements of the Europe Agreement with Latvia were provided for in the Protocol adjusting trade aspects of the Europe Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Latvia, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union and the outcome of the Uruguay Round negotiations on agriculture including improvements to the existing preferential arrangements(2). The Council approved the abovementioned Protocol on behalf of the Community by Council Decision 1999/790/EC(3).
(3) In accordance with the directives adopted by the Council on 30 March 1999, the Commission and Latvia concluded on 8 May 2000 negotiations on a new Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement.
(4) The new Additional Protocol, which provides for additional agricultural concessions, will be based on Article 20(4) of the Europe Agreement, establishing that the Community and Latvia are to examine in the Association Council, product by product and on an orderly and reciprocal basis, the possibility of granting each other further concessions.
(5) A swift implementation of the adjustments forms an essential part of the results of the negotiations for the conclusion of a new Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement with Latvia.
(6) It is therefore appropriate to provide for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of the agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with Latvia.
(7) Latvia will take all the useful legislative provisions, on an autonomous and transitional basis, in order to enable a rapid and simultaneous implementation of the adaptation of the agricultural concessions of Latvia provided for in the Europe Agreement.
(8) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(4).
(9) Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code(5) codified the management rules for tariff quotas designed to be used following the chronological order of dates of customs declarations,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. The arrangements for import into the Community applicable to certain agricultural products originating in Latvia as set out in Annexes A(a) and A(b) to this Regulation shall replace those set out in Annex Va to the Europe Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Latvia, of the other part.
2. On the entry into force of the new Additional Protocol adjusting the Europe Agreement referred to in paragraph 1, the concessions provided for in that Protocol shall replace those referred to in Annexes A(a) and A(b) to this Regulation.
3. The Commission shall adopt detailed rules for the application of this Regulation in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 3(2).
Article 2
1. Tariff quotas with an order number above 09.5100 shall be administered by the Commission in accordance with Articles 308a, 308b and 308c of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93.
2. Quantities of goods subject to tariff quotas and released for free circulation as from 1 July 2000 under the concessions provided for in Annex Va to the Europe Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No 1926/96(6) before the entry into force of this Regulation shall be fully counted against the quantities provided for in Annex A(b) to this Regulation.
Article 3
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the committee instituted by Article 23 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 on the common organisation of the market of cereals(7) or, where appropriate, the committee instituted by the relevant provisions of the other regulations on the common organisation of agricultural markets, hereinafter referred to as the "Committee".
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the procedure laid down in Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.
The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at one month.
3. The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.
Article 4
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
It shall apply from 1 July 2000.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Luxembourg, 17 October 2000.
For the Council
The President
L. Fabius
(1) OJ L 26, 2.2.1998, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 317, 10.12.1999, p. 3.
(3) OJ L 317, 10.12.1999, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.
(5) OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1662/1999 (OJ L 197, 29.7.1999, p. 25).
(6) OJ L 254, 8.10.1996, p. 1.
(7) OJ L 181, 1.7.1992, p. 21.
ANNEX A(a)
Customs duties on imports applicable in the Community to products originating in Latvia and listed below shall be abolished
CN code(1)
0101 20 10
0104 20 10
0106 00 10
0106 00 20
0205 00 11
0205 00 19
0205 00 90
0206 80 91
0206 90 91
0207 13 91
0207 14 91
0207 26 91
0207 27 91
0207 35 91
0207 36 89
0208 10 11
0208 10 19
0208 20 00
0208 90 10
0208 90 50
0208 90 60
0208 90 80
0210 90 10
0210 90 79
0407 00 90
0410 00 00
0601 10 10
0601 10 20
0601 10 30
0601 10 40
0601 10 90
0601 20 30
0601 20 90
0602 10 90
0602 20 90
0602 30 00
0602 40 10
0602 40 90
0602 90 10
0602 90 30
0602 90 41
0602 90 45
0602 90 49
0602 90 51
0602 90 59
0602 90 70
0602 90 91
0602 90 99
0603 10 10
0603 10 20
0603 10 30
0603 10 40
0603 10 50
0603 10 80
0603 90 00
0604 10 90
0604 91 21
0604 91 29
0604 91 41
0604 91 49
0604 91 90
0604 99 90
0701 10 00
0701 90 10
0703 10 11
0703 10 19
0703 10 90
0703 90 00
0708 10 00
0709 51 30
0709 51 50
0709 51 90
0709 52 00
0709 60 10
0709 60 99
0709 90 50
0710 80 59
0711 10 00
0711 90 10
0711 90 70
0712 20 00
0713 50 00
0713 90 10
0713 90 90
0802 11 90
0802 12 90
0802 21 00
0802 22 00
0802 31 00
0802 32 00
0802 40 00
0802 90 50
0802 90 85
0806 20 11
0806 20 12
0806 20 91
0806 20 92
0806 20 98
0808 20 90
0810 40 30
0810 40 50
0810 40 90
0811 90 85
0812 10 00
0812 90 40
0812 90 50
0812 90 60
0812 90 95
0813 10 00
0813 20 00
0813 30 00
0813 40 10
0813 40 30
0813 40 95
0813 50 15
0813 50 19
0813 50 91
0813 50 99
0901 12 00
0901 21 00
0901 22 00
0902 10 00
0904 12 00
0904 20 10
0904 20 90
0907 00 00
0910 40 13
0910 40 19
0910 40 90
0910 91 90
0910 99 99
1106 10 00
1106 30 90
1208 10 00
1209 11 00
1209 19 00
1209 21 00
1209 23 80
1209 29 50
1209 29 80
1209 30 00
1209 91 10
1209 91 90
1209 99 91
1209 99 99
1210 10 00
1210 20 10
1210 20 90
1211 90 30
1212 10 10
1212 10 99
1214 90 10
1502 00 90
1503 00 19
1503 00 90
1504 10 10
1504 10 99
1504 20 10
1504 30 10
1507 10 10
1507 10 90
1507 90 10
1507 90 90
1508 10 90
1508 90 10
1508 90 90
1511 10 90
1511 90 11
1511 90 19
1511 90 91
1511 90 99
1512 11 10
1512 11 91
1512 11 99
1512 19 10
1512 19 91
1512 19 99
1512 21 10
1512 21 90
1512 29 10
1512 29 90
1513 11 10
1513 11 91
1513 11 99
1513 19 11
1513 19 19
1513 19 30
1513 19 91
1513 19 99
1513 21 11
1513 21 19
1513 21 30
1513 21 90
1513 29 11
1513 29 19
1513 29 30
1513 29 50
1513 29 91
1513 29 99
1514 10 10
1514 10 90
1514 90 10
1514 90 90
1515 11 00
1515 19 10
1515 19 90
1515 21 10
1515 21 90
1515 29 10
1515 29 90
1515 30 90
1515 50 11
1515 50 19
1515 50 91
1515 50 99
1515 90 29
1515 90 39
1515 90 40
1515 90 51
1515 90 59
1515 90 60
1515 90 91
1515 90 99
1516 20 95
1516 20 96
1516 20 98
1518 00 31
1518 00 39
1522 00 91
1602 31 11
1602 31 19
1602 31 30
1602 31 90
2001 90 20
2005 90 10
2302 50 00
2306 90 19
2308 90 90
2309 10 51
2309 10 90
2309 90 10
2309 90 31
2309 90 41
2309 90 51
(1) As defined in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2204/1999 of 12 October 1999, amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (OJ L 278, 28.10.1999, p. 1).
ANNEX A(b)
Imports into the Community of the following products originating in Latvia shall be subject to the concessions set out below
(MFN = most favoured nation duty)
>TABLE>
Annex to Annex A(b)
Mimimum import price arrangements for certain soft fruit for processing
1. Minimum import prices are fixed as follows for the following products for processing originating in the Republic of Latvia:
>TABLE>
2. The minimum import prices, as set out in paragraph 1, will be respected on a consignment-by-consignment basis. In the case of a customs declaration value being lower than the minimum import price, a countervailing duty will be charged equal to the difference between the minimum import price and the customs declaration value.
3. If the import prices of a given product covered by this Annex show a trend suggesting that the prices could go below the level of the minimum import prices in the immediate future, the European Commission will inform the Latvian authorities in order to enable them to correct the situation.
4. At the request of either the Community or Latvia, the Association Council shall examine the functioning of the system or the revision of the level of the minimum import prices. If appropriate, the Association Council shall take the necessary decisions.
5. To encourage and promote the development of trade and for the mutual benefit of all parties concerned, a consultation meeting will be organised three months before the beginning of each marketing year in the European Community. This consultation meeting will take place between the European Commission and the interested European producers' organisations for the products concerned, of the one part, and the authorities', producers' and exports' organisations of all the associated exporting countries, of the other part.
During this consultation meeting, the market situation for soft fruit including, in particular, forecasts for production, stock situation, price evolution and possible market development, as well as possibilities of adapting supply to demand, will be discussed.