Commission Regulation (EC) No 349/2002

of 25 February 2002

amending Regulation (EC) No 896/2001 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 as regards the arrangements for importing bananas into the Community

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 of 13 February 1993 on the common organisation of the market in bananas(1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2587/2001(2), and in particular Article 20 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 896/2001(3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2351/2001(4), lays down detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 404/93, to apply from 1 July 2001, with a view to the management of the tariff import quotas provided for in Article 18(1) of the latter Regulation.

(2) Article 18(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 404/93, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 2587/2001, amends the tariff import quotas from 1 January 2002. In particular it reduces tariff quota C by 100000 tonnes and reserves access to it for products originating in the ACP countries. As a result of those amendments, it should be borne in mind that the structures of the trade in products originating in the ACP countries feature greater integration of the various commercial operations, which are carried out to a large extent by traditional operators as defined in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 896/2001. In order to ensure the continuity of import flows and at the same time to allocate non-traditional operators a share of tariff quota C that enables them to continue their activities in this trade and in order to foster sound competition, the allocation of tariff quota C among traditional and non-traditional operators should be adjusted and Article 2 of the abovementioned Regulation should be amended accordingly. The new allocation should correspond more closely to the operations actually carried out by each of the two categories of operators over the last three years.

(3) The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 896/2001 lists the authorities competent in the Member States to issue licences for importing bananas from third countries. Following notifications from several Member States, that Annex should be amended.

(4) This Regulation must enter into force immediately in view of the time limits laid down in Regulation (EC) No 896/2001.

(5) The Management Committee for Bananas has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its Chairman,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 896/2001 is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article 2 is replaced by the following: "Article 2

1. Tariff quotas A and B as provided for in Article 18(1)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 shall be made available as follows:

(a) 83 % to traditional operators A/B as defined in Article 3(2) of this Regulation;

(b) 17 % to non-traditional operators A/B as defined in Article 6 of this Regulation.

2. Tariff quota C as provided for in Article 18(1)(c) of Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 shall be made available as follows:

(a) 89 % to traditional operators C as defined in Article 3(3) of this Regulation;

(b) 11 % to non-traditional operators C as defined in Article 6 of this Regulation."

2. The Annex is replaced by the Annex hereto.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 25 February 2002.

For the Commission

Franz Fischler

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 47, 25.2.1993, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 345, 29.12.2001, p. 13.

(3) OJ L 126, 8.5.2001, p. 6.

(4) OJ L 315, 1.12.2001, p. 46.

ANNEX

"ANNEX

The authorities of the Member States competent for compiling the lists of operators and of quantities marketed are as follows:

- BELGIUM

Bureau d'intervention et de restitution belge/Belgisch Interventie- en Restitutiebureau Rue de Trèves, 82/Trierstraat 82 B - 1040 Bruxelles/Brussel

- DENMARK

Ministeriet for Fødevarer, Landbrug og Fiskeri Direktoratet for Fødevare Erhverv; Eksportstøttekontoret Kampmannsgade 3 DK - 1780 København V

- GERMANY

Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung Referat 322 Adickesallee, 40 D - 60322 Frankfurt am Main

- GREECE

OPEKEPE (ex-GEDIDAGEP) Dirección de Frutas y Hortalizas, Vino y Productos Industriales 241 Acharnon GR - 10446 Atenas

- SPAIN

Ministerio de Economía Secretaría General de Comercio Exterior Paseo de la Castellana, 162 E - 28046 Madrid

- FRANCE

Office de développement de l'économie agricole des départements d'outre-mer (ODEADOM) 31, Quai de Grenelle F - 75738 Paris Cedex 15

- IRELAND

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Horticulture Division Agriculture House (7W)

Kildare Street

Dublin 2 Ireland

- ITALY

Until 15 July 2001: Ministero del Commercio con l'Estero DG Politica Commerciale e Gestione Regime Scambi - Div. II Viale Boston, 25 I - 00144 Roma

From 16 July 2001: Ministero delle Attività Produttive DG Politica Commerciale e Gestione Regime Scambi - Div. II Viale Boston, 25 I - 00144 Roma

- LUXEMBOURG

Ministère de l'agriculture/Administration des services techniques de l'agriculture Service de l'horticulture 16, Route d'Esch Boîte postale 1904 L - 1014 Luxembourg

- NETHERLANDS

Produktschap Tuinbouw Louis Pasteurlaan 6 Postbus 280 2700 AG Zoetermeer The Netherlands

- AUSTRIA

Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft Abteilung III 10 - Obst, Gemüse, Sonderkulturen Stubenring 1 A - 1012 Wien

- PORTUGAL

Until 31 December 2001: Ministério da Economia Direcção-Geral das Relações Económicas Internacionais

Direcção de Serviços de Licenciamento do Comércio Externo

Avenida da República, 79 P - 1069 059 Lisboa

From 1 January 2002: Ministério das Finanças Direcção-Geral das Alfândegas e dos Impostos Especiais sobre o Consumo

Direcção de Serviços de Licenciamento

Rua Terreiro do Trigo - Edifício da Alfândega P - 1149 060 Lisboa

- FINLAND

Registration of operators Maa- ja Metsätalousministeriö Hallituskatu 3a, Helsinki PL 30 FIN - 00023 Valtioneuvosto

Licences issued by Tullihallitus Erottajankatu 2 PL 512 FIN - 00101 Helsinki

- SWEDEN

Jordbruksverket Vallgatan 8-10 S - 551 82 Jönköping

- UNITED KINGDOM

Until 15 October 2001: Intervention Board External Trade Division Lancaster House

Hampshire Court

Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1AW United Kingdom

From 16 October 2001: Rural Payments Agency External Trade Division Lancaster House

Hampshire Court

Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1AW United Kingdom"