Additional Protocol

fixing the provisions applicable to trade in certain fish and fishery products to the Agreement establishing an association between the European Economic Community and Malta

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, hereinafter referred to as "the Community",

of the one part, and

THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA, hereinafter referred to as "Malta",

of the other part,

Whereas:

(1) The Agreement establishing an association between the European Economic Communities and Malta, hereinafter referred to as "the Association Agreement", was signed in Valetta on 5 December 1970 and entered into force in April 1971.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 3010/95 totally or partially suspending the customs duties applicable to certain products falling within Chapters 1 to 24 originating in Malta was last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 779/98.

(3) Technical negotiations based on Article 2 of the Association Agreement have been carried out and successfully concluded between the Community and Malta to agree on reciprocal tariff concessions in the fisheries sector.

(4) Following the terms of Article 3(2) of that Association Agreement fish and fishery products originating in the Community are imported duty-free into Malta.

(5) The negotiated concessions in the fisheries sector should affect the bilateral concessions granted under the Association Agreement, which should, therefore, be amended by means of a Protocol adjusting the trade aspects of the Association Agreement.

(6) The Community and Malta also agreed on an administratively simple procedure for implementing the negotiated tariff concessions as soon as possible on a gradual basis,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

From the date of entry into force of this Protocol, the Community shall apply a one-third reduction of the tariff duties for fish and fishery products as defined in Article 1 of Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000, other than those mentioned in Article 2 of this Protocol.

One year after the date of entry into force of this Protocol, the Community shall apply a further one-third reduction of the tariff duties applicable at the time of entry into force of this Protocol.

Two years after the date of entry into force of this Protocol, full free trade in all fish and fishery products shall be applied by both Parties, including for those mentioned in Article 2.

Article 2

From the date of entry into force of this Protocol, the Community shall open a Community tariff quota of 1500 tonnes at 7,5 % for Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Sea bream (Dentex dentex and Pagellus spp.) and Gilt-head seabreams (Sparus aurata) falling within subheadings 0302 69 94, 0302 69 61 and 0302 69 95 originating in Malta.

One year after the entry into force of this Protocol the tariff quota shall be set at 1750 tonnes at 0 %, it shall be eliminated two years after the entry into force of this Protocol.

For quantities imported into the Community above the tariff quotas, the provisions of Article 1 shall apply.

Article 3

The reductions referred to in Article 1 shall be calculated using common mathematical principles taking into account that:

(a) all the figures less than 50 (included) after the decimal point shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number;

(b) all the figures more than 50 after the decimal point shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number;

(c) all the tariffs below 2 % shall automatically be fixed at 0 %.

Article 4

If Malta's application for membership of the European Union is suspended, both parties shall meet within a six-month period to review this Protocol in the light of the new situation.

Article 5

This Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date on which the Parties have notified each other of the completion of the internal procedures necessary for that purpose.

Hecho en Bruselas, el diecinueve de diciembre del dos mil uno.

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den nittende december to tusind og en.

Geschehen zu Brüssel am neunzehnten Dezember zweitausendundeins.

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις δέκα εννέα Δεκεμβρίου δύο χιλιάδες ένα.

Done at Brussels on the nineteenth day of December in the year two thousand and one.

Fait à Bruxelles, le dix-neuf décembre deux mille un.

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì diciannove dicembre duemilauno.

Gedaan te Brussel, de negentiende december tweeduizendeneen.

Feito em Bruxelas, em dezanove de Dezembro de dois mil e um.

Tehty Brysselissä yhdeksäntenätoista päivänä joulukuuta vuonna kaksituhattayksi.

Som skedde i Bryssel den nittonde december tjugohundraett.

Por la Comunidad Europea

For Det Europæiske Fællesskab

Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft

Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα

For the European Community

Pour la Communauté européenne

Per la Comunità europea

Voor de Europese Gemeenschap

Pela Comunidade Europeia

Euroopan yhteisön puolesta

På Europeiska gemenskapens vägnar

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For the Republic of Malta

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