Council Regulation (EC) No 1408/2002

of 29 July 2002

establishing concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for an adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with Hungary

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the other part(1), provides for certain concessions for certain agricultural products originating in Hungary.

(2) The first improvements to the preferential arrangements of the Europe Agreement with Hungary were provided for in the Protocol adapting trade aspects of the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the other part, to take into account the accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union and the results of the Uruguay Round negotiations on agriculture, including the improvements to the existing preferential regime, approved by Decision 1999/67/EC(2).

(3) Improvements to the preferential arrangements of the Europe Agreement with Hungary were also provided for as a result of a first round of negotiations to liberalise the agricultural trade. The improvements entered into force as from 1 July 2000 in the form of Council Regulation (EC) No 1727/2000 of 31 July 2000 establishing certain concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for an adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with Hungary(3). The second adjustment of the relevant provisions in the Europe Agreement, which will take the form of another Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement, has not yet entered into force.

(4) A new Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement on trade liberalisation for agricultural products has been negotiated.

(5) A swift implementation of the adjustments forms an essential part of the results of the negotiations for the conclusion of a new Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement with Hungary. It is therefore appropriate to provide for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of the agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with Hungary.

(6) Regulation (EC) No 1727/2000 should therefore be repealed.

(7) Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code(4) has codified the management rules for tariff quotas designed to be used following the chronological order of dates of customs declarations. Tariff quotas under this Regulation should therefore be administered in accordance with those rules.

(8) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(5),

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

1. The conditions for import into the Community applicable to certain agricultural products originating in Hungary as set out in Annex A(a) and Annex A(b) to this Regulation shall replace those set out in Annex VIII to the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the other part, hereinafter the "Europe Agreement".

2. On the entry into force of the Additional Protocol adjusting the Europe Agreement to take into account the outcome of the negotiations between the parties on new mutual agricultural concessions, the concessions provided for in that Protocol shall replace those referred to in Annex A(a) and Annex A(b) to this Regulation.

3. The Commission shall adopt detailed rules for the application of this Regulation in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 3(2).

Article 2

1. Tariff quotas with an order number above 09.5100 shall be administered by the Commission in accordance with Articles 308a, 308b and 308c of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93.

2. Quantities of goods subject to tariff quotas and released for free circulation as from 1 July 2002 under the concessions provided for in Annex A(b) to Regulation (EC) No 1727/2000 shall be fully counted against the quantities provided for in Annex A(b) to this Regulation, except for quantities for which import licences have been issued before 1 July 2002.

Article 3

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Management Committee for Cereals instituted by Article 23 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92(6) or, where appropriate, by the committee instituted by the relevant provisions of the other Regulations on the common organisation of agricultural markets.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

The period provided for in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be one month.

3. The committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 4

Regulation (EC) No 1727/2000 is repealed from the entry into force of this Regulation.

Article 5

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

It shall apply from 1 July 2002 except for new concessions, which involve the opening of new tariff quotas. For these new concessions covered by order numbers 09.4774, 09.4776, 09.4777, 09.4778, 09.4780, 09.5862 and 09.5864 it is applicable from the date of entry into force of the detailed rules provided for in Article 1(3) of this Regulation.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 29 July 2002.

For the Council

The President

P. S. Møller

(1) OJ L 347, 31.12.1993, p. 2.

(2) OJ L 28, 2.2.1999, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 198, 4.8.2000, p. 6.

(4) OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 444/2002 (OJ L 68, 12.3.2002, p. 11).

(5) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

(6) OJ L 181, 1.7.1992, p. 21.

ANNEX A(a)

Custom duties on imports applicable in the Community to products originating in Hungary and listed below shall be abolished

CN code(1)

0101 10 90

0101 90 19

0101 90 30

0101 90 90

0105 11 11

0105 11 19

0105 11 91

0105 11 99

0105 12 00

0105 19 20

0105 19 90

0106 19 10

0106 39 10

0205 00

0206 80 91

0206 90 91

0207 13 91

0207 14 91

0207 26 91

0207 27 91

0207 35 91

0207 36 89

0208 10 11

0208 10 19

0208 20 00

0208 30 00

0208 40

0208 50 00

0208 90 10

0208 90 55

0208 90 60

0208 90 95

0210 91 00

0210 92 00

0210 93 00

0210 99 10

0210 99 79

0407 00 11

0407 00 19

0409 00 00

0410 00 00

0601

0602

0603

0604 10 90

0604 91 21

0604 91 29

0604 91 41

0604 91 49

0604 91 90

0604 99 90

0701 10 00

0703 10 90

0703 20 00

0703 90 00

0704 20 00

0704 90 90

0705 19 00

0705 21 00

0705 29 00

0706 90

0707 00 90

0708 10 00

0708 90 00

0709 20 00

0709 30 00

0709 40 00

0709 51 00

0709 52 00

0709 59

0709 60 10

0709 70 00

0709 90 10

0709 90 20

0709 90 31

0709 90 40

0709 90 50

0709 90 90

0710 10 00

0710 22 00

0710 29 00

0710 30 00

0710 80 51

0710 80 59

0710 80 61

0710 80 69

0710 80 70

0710 80 80

0710 80 85

0711 30 00

0711 40 00

0711 90 10

0711 90 50

0711 90 80

0712 20 00

0712 31 00

0712 32 00

0712 33 00

0712 39 00

0712 90 05

0712 90 30

0712 90 50

0712 90 90

0713 50 00

0713 90

0714 20

0714 90 90

0802 11 90

0802 12 90

0802 21 00

0802 22 00

0802 31 00

0802 32 00

0802 40 00

0802 50 00

0802 90 50

0802 90 60

0802 90 85

0805 10 80

0805 50 90

0806 20

0808 20 90

0809 40 90

0810 10 00

0810 40 30

0810 40 50

0810 40 90

0810 50 00

0810 60 00

0810 90 95

0811 10 19

0811 20 59

0811 20 90

0811 90 31

0811 90 39

0811 90 50

0811 90 70

0811 90 75

0811 90 80

0811 90 85

0811 90 95

0812 10 00

0812 90 10

0812 90 20

0812 90 40

0812 90 50

0812 90 60

0812 90 70

0813 10 00

0813 20 00

0813 30 00

0813 40 10

0813 40 30

0813 40 95

0813 50

0814 00 00

0901 12 00

0901 90 90

0904 12 00

0904 20 90

0905 00 00

0907 00 00

0910 20 90

0910 40 13

0910 40 19

0910 40 90

1006 10 10

1007 00 10

1106 10 00

1106 30

1107 10

1107 20 00

1108 20 00

1208 10 00

1209 10 00

1209 21 00

1209 23 80

1209 29 50

1209 29 60

1209 29 80

1209 30 00

1209 91

1209 99 91

1209 99 99

1210 10 00

1210 20 10

1210 20 90

1211 90 30

1212 10 10

1212 10 99

1214 90 10

1302 12 00

1302 13 00

1302 19 05

1501 00 90

1502 00 90

1503 00 19

1503 00 90

1504 10 10

1504 10 99

1504 20 10

1504 30 10

1508 10 90

1508 90

1511 10 90

1511 90

1512 11 99

1512 19 99

1512 21

1512 29

1513 11 10

1513 11 91

1513 11 99

1513 19

1513 21

1513 29

1515

1516 10

1516 20 91

1516 20 95

1516 20 96

1516 20 98

1518 00 31

1518 00 95

1522 00 91

1601 00 10

1602 20 11

1602 20 19

1602 31 11

1602 31 19

1602 31 30

1602 31 90

1602 32 19

1602 41 90

1602 42 90

1602 49 90

1602 90 10

1602 90 31

1602 90 41

1602 90 69

1602 90 72

1602 90 74

1602 90 76

1602 90 78

1602 90 98

1603 00 10

2001 10 00

2001 90 50

2001 90 60

2001 90 65

2001 90 70

2001 90 75

2001 90 85

2001 90 91

2001 90 93

2001 90 96

2003 20 00

2003 90 00

2004 90 30

2004 90 50

2004 90 91

2005 51 00

2005 59 00

2005 60 00

2005 70 10

2005 90 50

2005 90 60

2005 90 70

2005 90 80

2006 00 91

2006 00 99

2007 99 10

2007 99 91

2007 99 93

2008 11 92

2008 11 94

2008 11 96

2008 11 98

2008 19

2008 20 19

2008 20 39

2008 20 51

2008 20 59

2008 20 71

2008 20 79

2008 20 91

2008 20 99

2008 30 11

2008 30 31

2008 30 39

2008 30 51

2008 30 55

2008 30 59

2008 30 71

2008 30 75

2008 30 79

2008 30 90

2008 50 11

2008 50 31

2008 50 39

2008 50 59

2008 50 61

2008 50 69

2008 50 71

2008 50 79

2008 50 92

2008 50 94

2008 50 99

2008 60 11

2008 60 31

2008 60 39

2008 60 51

2008 60 59

2008 60 61

2008 60 69

2008 60 71

2008 60 79

2008 60 91

2008 60 99

2008 80 11

2008 80 31

2008 80 39

2008 80 50

2008 80 70

2008 80 91

2008 80 99

2008 92 12

2008 92 14

2008 92 32

2008 92 34

2008 92 36

2008 92 38

2008 92 51

2008 92 59

2008 92 72

2008 92 74

2008 92 76

2008 92 78

2008 92 92

2008 92 93

2008 92 94

2008 92 96

2008 92 97

2008 92 98

2008 99 11

2008 99 19

2008 99 23

2008 99 25

2008 99 26

2008 99 28

2008 99 36

2008 99 37

2008 99 38

2008 99 40

2008 99 43

2008 99 45

2008 99 46

2008 99 47

2008 99 49

2008 99 53

2008 99 55

2008 99 61

2008 99 62

2008 99 68

2008 99 72

2008 99 78

2008 99 99

2009 31 11

2009 39 31

2009 41 10

2009 49 30

2009 50

2009 71

2009 79 19

2009 79 30

2009 79 93

2009 79 99

2009 80 19

2009 80 36

2009 80 38

2009 80 50

2009 80 63

2009 80 69

2009 80 71

2009 80 73

2009 80 79

2009 80 88

2009 80 89

2009 80 95

2009 80 96

2009 80 97

2009 80 99

2009 90 19

2009 90 29

2009 90 39

2009 90 41

2009 90 49

2009 90 51

2009 90 59

2009 90 73

2009 90 79

2009 90 95

2009 90 96

2009 90 97

2009 90 98

2302 50 00

2306 90 19

2308 00 90

2309 10 51

2309 10 90

2309 90 10

2309 90 31

2309 90 41

2309 90 51

2309 90 91

2309 90 93

2309 90 95

2309 90 97

(1) As defined in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2031/2001 of 6 August 2001 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (OJ L 279, 23.10.2001, p. 1).

ANNEX A(b)

Imports into the Community of the following products originating in Hungary shall be subject to the concessions set out below (MFN = Most Favoured Nation duty)

>TABLE>

Appendix to Annex A(b)

Minimum import price arrangement for certain soft fruit for processing

The importation into the Community of the products listed in this Appendix originating in Hungary will be subject to the conditions described in this Appendix.

1. Minimum import prices are fixed for the following products:

>TABLE>

2. The minimum import prices, as set out in point 1, will be respected on a consignment by consignment basis. In the case of a customs declaration value being lower than the minimum import price, a countervailing duty will be charged equal to the difference between the minimum import price and the customs declaration value.

3. If the import prices of a given product covered by this Appendix show a trend suggesting that the prices could go below the level of the minimum import prices in the immediate future, the European Commission will inform the Hungarian authorities in order to enable them to correct the situation.

4. At the request of either the Community or Hungary, the Association Committee shall examine the functioning of the system or the revision of the level of the minimum import prices. If appropriate, the Association Committee shall take the necessary decisions.

5. To encourage and promote the development of trade and for the mutual benefit of all parties concerned, a consultation meeting may be organised three months before the beginning of each marketing year in the European Community. This consultation meeting will take place between the European Commission and the interested European producers' organisations for the products concerned, on the one part and the authorities', producers' and exporters' organisations of all the associated exporting countries, on the other part.

During this consultation meeting, the market situation for soft fruit including, in particular, forecasts for production, stock situation, price evolution and possible market development, as well as possibilities to adapt supply to demand, will be discussed.