WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/LIC/N/3/EEC/2/Add.7
13 October 1999
(99-4332)
Committee on Import Licensing Original:  English
REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES1
Notification under Article 7.3 of the Agreement
on Import Licensing Procedures
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Addendum
Import Licensing Procedures for WTO Tariff Quotas
Covering Live Sheep and Goats and Meat of Sheep and Goats
Outline of system
1. The object of the import licensing system is to ensure a sound administration of the EC’s
WTO tariff rate quotas mentioned in reply 2.  The relevant legislation related to the import licensing
system for these tariff quotas is mentioned in reply 5.  As regards the requirements for applicants for
import licences see reply 6.
Purpose and coverage of licensing
2. See reply 1. The products covered by the tariff rate quotas are as follows:
Description of products Tariff item number(s) Quota volume Country allocation
Live sheep and goats,
other than pure-
breeding animalsex 0104 10
ex 0104 2039.310 t Poland, Rumania, Hungary,
Bulgaria, FYROM, other
countries.
Live sheep and goats,other than pure-bred
breeding animals
Meat of sheep or goats,fresh chilled or frozenex 0104 10
ex 0104 20
0204800 t Czech Republic and Slovak
Republic
Meat of sheep or goats,fresh, chilled or frozen0204 283.854 t Argentina, Australia, Chile,
New Zealand, Uruguay,
Iceland, Poland, Rumania,
Hungary, Bulgaria, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Croatia,
Slovenia, FYROM,Greenland, other countries.
                                                     
1 See G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire.G/LIC/N/3/EEC/2/Add.7
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3. The system applies in the European Community to the products mentioned in reply 2 and
originating in the above-mentioned countries.
4. See reply 1. As referred to in reply 1, the licensing system covers the relevant WTO tariff
quotas. The EC considers the method adopted to be the most appropriate to administer these tariff ratequotas.
5. The relevant legislation for the administration of import licences for these tariff rate quotas
mentioned in reply 2 is:
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1439/95 of 26 June 1995 (OJ L 143), as last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) 2526/ 95 of 27 October 1995 (OJ L 258) and Commission Regulation
(EC) 2327/97 of 26 November 1997 (OJ L 323), as last amended by Commission Regulation
(EC) 1214/98 of 11 June 1998 (OJ L 167).
The licensing is statutorily required. The legislation does not leave designation of products to
be subjected to licensing to administrative discretion. The system cannot be abolished withoutlegislative approval.
Procedures
6. Answer to questions 6.I to VIII and to 6. XI and 6. X. Question 6.IX is not relevant.
The information related to the allocation of  the quotas and the formalities for licence
application is published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (see reply 5). There is
no derogation from the licensing requirement.
The tariff quotas are annual tariff quotas.
(a) Country-specific WTO tariff quotas: The application for an import licence is subject to the
submission of a certificate of origin issued by an  empowered authority in the exporting country. The
import licence has to be issued by the competent authorities in the Member States not later than one
working day following that on which the application is lodged. The quota allocations are made on the
basis first come first served.
(b) Non-country-specific WTO tariff quotas: Import licences are issued by the competent
authorities in the Member States. The tariff quotas are administered on a quarterly basis. During each
of the first three-quarters of each year, import licences are issued within the limits of one quarter of
the quota quantity. During September of each year the competent authorities in the Member Stateshave to issue import licences within the remainin g balance of these quantities. Applications for
licences can be lodged only during the first three-quarters of the year and during the first 10 days of
September. Applications for licences have to be  forwarded by the competent authorities in the
Member States to the Commission no later than the sixteenth day of each of the first three-quarters
and by 16 September. The Commission has to decide before the twenty-sixth day of each of the threequarters and before 26 September to what extent applications may be accepted. If the quantities in
respect of which applications are made exceed the quantities available, the Commission fixes a single
percentage reduction to be applied to the quantities applied for. Following the Commission’s decision
on acceptance of applications, licences are issued on the thirtieth day of each of the first three-quarters
and on 30 September by the competent authorities in the Member States.
7. Question 7 is not relevant in the present case.G/LIC/N/3/EEC/2/Add.7
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8. The application for an import licence can only be refused if the relevant criteria are not
fulfilled. Applicants can appeal to courts in the Me mber States according to the legislation in force in
the respective Member States.
Eligibility of importers to apply for licence
9. See reply 6. There is no specific system of registration necessary for the application of an
import licence.
Documentational and other requirements for application for licence
10. A specimen of the import licence is set out at Annex XI to the Community’s general
Article 7.3 notification for 1999 (G/L IC/N/3/EEC/2). Regarding the information required, see the
import licence and Commission Regulation (EC) No 143 9/95 of 26 June 1995 (published in OJ L 143,
page 7), as last amended by Commission Regula tion (EC) 2526/95 of 27 October 1995 (published in
OJ L 258, page 48) and Commission Regulation (E C) 2327/97 of 26 November 1997 (published in OJ
L 323, page 5), as last amended by Commission Re gulation (EC) 1214/98 of 11 June 1998 (published
in OJ L 167, page 7).
11. The import licence and, in the case of country-specific WTO tariff quotas, the certificate of
origin.
12. No.
13. In the case of WTO country-specific tariff quotas no security is required. In the case of non-
country-specific WTO tariff quotas the issuance of the import licence is subject to a security in order
to guarantee that the undertaking to import will be fulfilled during the period of validity of the licence.The security is released when the obligation to import has been fulfilled.
Conditions of licensing
14. Import licences are valid three months from their date of issue and in the case of WTO
country-specific tariff quotas the import licence is not valid beyond 31 December and in duly justified
exceptional cases, the competent authorities in the Member States can extend the validity of an importlicence for a period up to 25 January of the following year.
15. As regards non-country-specific WTO tariff qu otas the non-utilisation of an import licence
implies that the security is not released. In the cas e of partial use of the import licence, the security is
partially released.
16. Import licences are not transferable.17. No.
Other procedural requirements
18. No.
19. Not relevant.
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