WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/LIC/N/3/EEC/3/Add.20
14 December 2000
(00-5444)
Committee on Import Licensing Original:  English
REPLIES TO THE 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
Certain Poultry and Turkey Products
Outline of systems
1. The object of the import licensing system is to ensure a sound administration of the EC’s
WTO tariff rate quotas mentioned in the answer to question 2.  The relevant legislation related to the
import licensing system for these tariff quotas is mentioned in the reply to question 5.  As regards therequirements for applicants for import licences see reply to question 6.
Purpose and coverage of licensing
2. See answer to question 1.  The products covered by the tariff quotas mentioned in answer to
question 1 are as follows:
Description of products Tariff item number(s)
Chicken carcass, fresh, chilled or frozen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicken cuts, fresh, chilled or frozen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus
-- Cuts and offal, frozen:
---Cuts---- Boneless
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turkey meat, fresh, chilled or frozen0207 11 and 0207 12
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ex 0207 11 and ex 0207 12
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0207 14 10
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0207 24, 0207 25, 0207 26 and 0207 27
3. The system applies in the European Community to the above-mentioned products originating
in third countries.
4. See answer to question 1. As referred to in the answer to question 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 rate quotas.
5. The relevant legislation for the administration of import licences for the tariff quotas
mentioned in the answer to question 1 is:
                                                     
1 See G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire.G/LIC/N/3/EEC/3/Add.20
Page 2
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1251/96 of 28 June 1996 (OJ L 161), as last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1357/2000 of 27 June 2000 (OJ L 155).
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.  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 answer to
question 5).  There is no derogation from the licensing requirement.
The tariff quotas are annual tariff quotas, opened on a quarterly basis.
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 imported not less than 50 tonnes of products falling within the scope of Regulation (EEC) No
2777/75 in each of the two calendar years preceding the year in which the licence application is
lodged.  Retail and catering establishments selling their products to the final consumer are excludedfrom the benefits of this system.  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.  Licence
applications must be submitted to the competent authority of the Member State in which the applicant
is established or has set up his registered office.  Licence applications may be submitted during the
first 10 days of the quarterly quota period (1 July, 1 October, 1 January and 1 April) to the competentauthorities in the Member States.  The applicant for an import licence must approach only one
administrative organ.  The competent authorities in the Member States have to notify to the
Commission, on the fifth working day following the end of the application submission period, of
applications submitted.  Applications are examined simultaneously by the Commission. The
Commission decides as quickly as possible to what extent quantities may be awarded in respect of the
quantities requested in the import licence applications.  If the quantities in respect of which licences
have been applied for exceed the quantities available, the Commission fixes a single percentage ofacceptance for the quantities applied for.  Where this percentage is less then 5%, it is possible that the
Commission will not award the quantities applied for and release the security.  The Commission
calculates the quantities remaining which are added to the quantity available in respect of the
following period in the same year.
7. Question 7 related to no quantitative limits 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 answer to question 6.  There is no specific system of registration necessary for the
application of an import licence.G/LIC/N/3/EEC/3/Add.20
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Documentational and other requirements for application for licence
10. A specimen of the import licence is included  in the EC Regulations set out in answer to
question 10 of the main notification for 2000.  Regarding the information required, see the importlicence and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1251/96 of 28 June 1996 (published in OJ L 161, page
136), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1357/2000 of 27 June 2000 (published in
OJ L 155, page 38).
11. The import licence.
12. No.
13. The issuance of 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 150 days, but not beyond each quota period.
15. In case of non-utilisation of an import licence, the security is not released.  In the case 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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