WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/LIC/N/3/EEC/2/Add.25
13 October 1999
(99-4354)
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
for Rice
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 for the products mentioned in reply 2.  The relevant legislation related to the
import licensing system for this tariff quota 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 quotas are as follows:
Product description Tariff item number(s)
(a) Husked brown rice 1006 20
(b) Semi-milled or wholly milled rice 1006 30
3. The system applies in the European Community to the product mentioned in reply 2,
originating in Australia, the United States of America, Thailand and in other third countries.
4. See reply 1.  As referred to in reply 1, the licensing system covers the relevant WTO tariff
quota.  The EC considers the method adopted to be the most appropriate to administer these tariff rate
quotas.
5. The relevant legislation for the administration of import licences for the tariff quota
mentioned in reply 1 is:
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2369/96 of 12 December 1996 (OJ L 323), as last amended
by Commission Regulation (EC) 630/97 of 10 April 1997 (OJ L 96).
                                                     
1 See G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire.G/LIC/N/3/EEC/2/Add.25
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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 without
legislative approval.
Procedures
6. Answer to questions 6.I to VIII and to 6. XI.  Questions 6.IX and X are 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.
Applicants for import licences must be natural or legal persons, who at the time applications
are submitted, prove to the satisfaction of the competent authorities of the Member States that they
have been operating commercially in the cereals sector for twelve months at least and that they areregistered in the Member State where the application is made.
Imports are only known to the competent authority in the Member States to which the import
licence application has been submitted and to the Commission.
The applicant for an import licence must approach only one administrative organ.
Applications for import licences have to be s ubmitted to the competent authorities in the
Member States on the second working Monday of eac h month.  A quantity of 1,000 tonnes is, to this
end, available in respect of each month until the quota volume is used up.  Quantities not used in thecourse of one month are carried forward to the foll owing month until the end of each marketing year.
The competent authorities in the Member States ha ve to notify to the Commission within two working
days of the closing date for the submission of applications on the applications submitted.  Within
10 days of the closing date for notification by the Member States, the Commission decides to what
extent the applications may be accepted.  Where the quantities applied for exceed those available in
respect of the tranche and country of origin in question, the Commission sets a percentage reduction
to be applied to each application and fixes the quantities available under the following tranche.Within three working days of the date of publication of the Commission’s decision, import licences
are issued by the competent authorities in the Member States.
Import licence applications in respect of rice originating in Thailand, Australia and the United
States have to be accompanied by the original of the export certificate issued by the competent bodyof  the exporting country.
7. Question 7 is not relevant in the present case.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. Applicants must be entered in a VAT register and there is no registration fee.G/LIC/N/3/EEC/2/Add.25
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Documentational and other requirements for application for licence
10. The application for an import licence has to be  submitted to the competent authorities in the
Member States conforming to the specimen set out at Annex XI to the general Article 7.3 notification
for 1999 (G/LIC/N/3/EEC/2).  Regard ing the information required in applications, see the application
form and Commission Regulation (EC) No 2369/96 of 12 December 1996 (published in OJ L 323,
page 8), as last amended by Commission Regula tion (EC) 630/97 of 10 April 1997 (published in
OJ L 96, page 5).
11. The import licence.12. No.13. The issuance of import licence is subject to a security (46 EUR/t for milled and semi-milled,
22 EUR/t for brown) in orde r to guarantee the good faith of the applicants.  The security is released on
the issue of the import licence.
Conditions of licensing
14. Import licences for husked, semi-milled and wholly milled rice are valid from their actual day
of issue until the end of the third month thereafter.  However the period of validity of import licences
may not be extended beyond 31 December of the year issue.  The  period of validity cannot beextended.
15. See reply 13.16. Import licences are not transferable.17. No.Other procedural requirements
18. No.
19. Not relevant.
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