AGREEMENT in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Community and Romania concerning certain arrangements for live bovine animals

A. Letter from the Community

Sir,

I have the honour to refer to the discussions concerning trade arrangements for certain agricultural products between the Community and Romania which have taken place in the framework of the negotiations for the Europe Agreement.

I hereby confirm that the Community will take the necessary measures to ensure that Romania will get full access to the import regime for live bovine animals in the framework of Article 13 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 on the same conditions as Hungary, Poland and the CSFR from the entry into force of this Agreement.

Imports of live bovine animals not covered by the estimates referred to in Article 13 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 and by the Europe Agreements with Hungary, Poland and the CSFR must be limited to calves of a live weight not exceeding 80 kg.

In the event that forecasts indicate that imports into the Community could exceed 425 000 head and that such imports threaten to cause a serious disturbance of the Community market for beef and veal, the Community reserves the right to adopt appropriate management measures pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1157/92 and the Europe Agreements, without prejudice to any other right conferred upon it by the Agreement.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that the Government of Romania is in agreement with the content of this letter.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

On behalf of the Community

B. Letter from Romania

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of today's date, which reads as follows:

'I have the honour to refer to the discussions concerning trade arrangements for certain agricultural products between the Community and Romania which have taken place in the framework of the negotiations for the Europe Agreement.

I hereby confirm that the Community will take the necessary measures to ensure that Romania will get full access to the import regime for live bovine animals in the framework of Article 13 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 on the same conditions as Hungary, Poland and the CSFR from the entry into force of this Agreement.

Imports of live bovine animals not covered by the estimates referred to in Article 13 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 and by the Europe Agreements with Hungary, Poland and the CSFR must be limited to calves of a live weight not exceeding 80 kg.

In the event that forecasts indicate that imports into the Community could exceed 425 000 head and that such imports threaten to cause a serious disturbance of the Community market for beef and veal, the Community reserves the right to adopt appropriate management measures pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1157/92 and the Europe Agreements, without prejudice to any other right conferred upon it by the Agreement.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that the Government of Romania is in agreement with the content of this letter.`

I have the honour to confirm that my Government is in agreement with the content of your letter.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

For the Government of Romania

DECLARATION BY THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES CONCERNING ARTICLE 2 (3) OF PROTOCOL 1

The Commission of the European Communities hereby confirms that the treatment accorded to Romania pursuant Article 2 (3) of Protocol 1 is identical in its substance to that accorded under the Protocols agreed with Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, and that in principle any amendment to Regulation (EEC) No 636/82 would apply to all the five countries of eastern and central Europe.

DECLARATIONS BY THE COMMUNITY

Protocol 2 on ECSC products

Article 9, paragraphs 1 (3) and 4 of Protocol 2 on ECSC products

The Community confirms its understanding that public aids referred to in Article 9, paragraphs 1 (3) and 4 are exclusively for the purposes of restructuring as defined, and stresses that transport subsidies acting as direct or indirect subsidies to the steel industry are excluded.

Article 9 (4) of Protocol 2 on ECSC products

It is understood that the possibility of an exceptional extension of the five-year period is strictly limited to the particular case of Romania and does not impair the position of the Community in relation to other cases nor prejudge international commitments. The possible derogation foreseen in paragraph 4 takes into account the particular difficulties of Romania in restructuring the steel sector and the fact that this process has been launched very recently.

DECLARATION BY THE COMMUNITY

The Community takes note of the fact that the Romanian authorities will not invoke the provisions of Protocol 2 on ECSC products, in particular Article 9, so as not to call into question the compatibility with this Protocol of the agreements made by the Community coal industry with the electricity companies and the steel industry to secure the sale of Community coal.

DECLARATIONS BY THE COMMUNITY

Article 21 (4)

The Community confirms its intention to open negotiations on the wine sector with a view to concluding:

- an agreement on reciprocal protection of names of wines and on the inspection of wines,

and

- an agreement on the reciprocal introduction of tariff concessions, subject to compliance with Community import rules, with particular reference to oenological practices and certification.

Article 21 (4)

The Community declares its agreement to maintain, for a further five-year period and under the same conditions, the preferential regime for certain cheeses set out in Regulation (EEC) No 1767/82.

DECLARATIONS BY ROMANIA

Article 8

The total and partial suspensions of customs duties established on a temporary basis by Romanian Government Decision No 812/1991 are valid only until 31 December 1992.

Article 14 (3)

The Romanian Party shall transmit to the Community in early 1993 the list containing the products subject to temporary quantitative export restrictions on CN basis (eight digits). Any subsequent modification of these lists shall be notified in due time.

Article 21

The Romanian delegation insists on, and defends its interest in, seeing a solution found at the earliest opportunity under the auspices of the Association Council to its request for an increase in quotas for products falling within the following CN codes:

0104 10 90

0104 20 90

0201

0202

ex 0203

0204

ex 0207

0702 00 10

0702 00 90

0707 00 11

0709 60 10

0711 90 40

0711 10 20

0711 10 30

0809 10 00

0809 40 11

0809 40 19

0810 10 10

0810 10 90

0812 10 00

0813 20 00

0813 30 00

1001 90 99

1212 99 10

1512 11 91

1512 19 91

2001 10 00

2001 90 90

2002 90 30

2002 90 90

2009 70 19

The Romanian delegation strongly believes that such an important issue will finally be solved through joint efforts by the Community and Romania.

DECLARATION BY ROMANIA

Protocol 4, Rules of Origin

Romania considers that the Association Council should discuss and resolve the issue of regional cumulation with Poland, Hungary and the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic when trade between the Community and those three countries and between Romania and those three countries is governed by agreements containing rules identical to those of Protocol 4.