Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/562 of 9 April 2018 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011 opening annual Union tariff quotas for sheep, goats, sheepmeat and goatmeat
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/562of 9 April 2018amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011 opening annual Union tariff quotas for sheep, goats, sheepmeat and goatmeatTHE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671., and in particular points (a) and (b) of Article 187 thereof,Whereas:(1)Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011 of 20 December 2011 opening annual Union tariff quotas for sheep, goats, sheepmeat and goatmeat (OJ L 338, 21.12.2011, p. 36). provides for the opening of annual Union import tariff quotas for sheep, goats, sheepmeat and goatmeat, including those originating in Iceland.(2)Article 4 of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011 provides that the tariff quotas opened by that Regulation are to be managed in accordance with Articles 308a, 308b and 308c(1) of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93Commission 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, (OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1).. Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 was replaced by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447 of 24 November 2015 laying down detailed rules for implementing certain provisions of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the Union Customs Code (OJ L 343, 29.12.2015, p. 558). and was repealed by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/481Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/481 of 1 April 2016 repealing Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code, (OJ L 87, 2.4.2016, p. 24). with effect from 1 May 2016. Therefore, references to Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 should be updated.(3)Furthermore, Article 5(2)(b) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011 provides for a proof of origin, in the case of tariff quotas other than those that are part of a preferential tariff agreement, in the form of a certificate of origin in accordance with Article 47 of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93. It appears that a certificate of origin is no longer necessary since, in accordance with Article 61 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilRegulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code (OJ L 269, 10.10.2013, p. 1)., customs authorities may require the declarant to prove the origin of the goods by means other than a formal certificate of origin. However, the certificate of origin issued in accordance with Article 47 of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 contained also information which is still necessary to differentiate the products for the purpose of calculating the carcass weight equivalent, as provided for in Article 3 of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011. Therefore, a new document containing that information should be required.(4)The European Union and Iceland signed an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters (hereafter "the Agreement") concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products on 23 March 2017. The signature of the Agreement on behalf of the Union was authorised by Council Decision (EU) 2016/2087Council Decision (EU) 2016/2087 of 14 November 2016 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Iceland concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products (OJ L 324, 30.11.2016, p. 1). and its conclusion by Council Decision (EU) 2017/1913Council Decision (EU) 2017/1913 of 9 October 2017 on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Iceland concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products (OJ L 274, 24.10.2017, p. 57)..(5)In accordance with Annex V to the Agreement, the Union is to add a total quantity of 1200 tonnes to the current duty-free quota for Iceland for sheepmeat and goatmeat, falling within tariff codes 0204 and 0210, and to open a new annual Union duty-free quota for processed sheepmeat falling within code 160290 of 300 tonnes. The additional quantity of 1200 tonnes and the new quantity of 300 tonnes are to be reached as specified in the table set out in Annex V to the Agreement.(6)The quantities of the products to be imported under the tariff quotas opened by Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011 are expressed in carcass-weight equivalent calculated by means of the coefficients set out in Article 3 of that Regulation. A coefficient factor for the conversion into carcass weight equivalent should be established for the new quota for processed sheep meat.(7)It is therefore necessary to amend Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011 accordingly.(8)The Agreement provides for entry into force on 1 May 2018. For 2018 the additional quantities of sheepmeat and goatmeat and the quantities in the new quota for processed sheep meat, to be made available pursuant to the Agreement, should be calculated on a prorata basis, taking into account its date of entry into force.(9)To facilitate the smooth implementation of the new provisions of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1354/2011, all the measures laid down in this Regulation should apply at the same date, which should be the date of entry into force of the Agreement.(10)The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: