EN Official Journal of the European Union L 381/8

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2244/2004

of 23 December 2004

opening tariff quotas for the year 2005 for imports into the European Community of certain processed agricultural products originating in Romania

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3448/93 of 6 December 1993 laying down the trade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products (1), and in particular Article 7(2) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 98/626/EC of 5 October 1998 relating to the conclusion of a Protocol for the adaptation of the trade aspects of the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Romania, 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 agricultural negotiations of the Uruguay Round, including the improvements to the existing preferential regime (2), and in particular Article 2(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Protocol 3 on trade in processed agricultural products to the Europe Agreement with Romania, as amended by the Protocol for the adaptation of the trade aspects of that Agreement, provides for the reduction in the agricultural component of the duties applicable on importation of certain processed agricultural products originating in Romania, within the limits of tariff quotas. Those quotas should be opened for 2005.

(2) 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 Common Customs Code (3) lays down rules for the management of tariff quotas. It is appropriate to provide that the tariff quotas opened by this Regulation are to be managed in accordance with those rules.

(3) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for horizontal questions concerning trade in processed agricultural products not listed in Annex I,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The Community annual tariff quotas for the processed agricultural products originating in Romania listed in the Annex are opened from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2005 under the conditions set out in that Annex.

Article 2

The Community tariff quotas referred to in Article 1 shall be managed by the Commission in accordance with Articles 308a, 308b and 308c of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 1 January 2005.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 23 December 2004. For the Commission Günter VERHEUGEN Vice-President

(1) OJ L 318, 20.12.1993, p. 18. Regulation as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2000 (OJ L 298, 25.11.2000, p. 5).

(2) OJ L 301, 11.11.1998, p.1.

(3) OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p.1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2286/2003 (OJ L 343, 31.12.2003, p.1).