EN Official Journal of the European Union L 254/3

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 923/2013

of 25 September 2013

opening and providing for the management of Union tariff quotas for agricultural products originating in Panama

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Decision 2012/734/EU of 25 June 2012 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other, and the provisional application of Part IV thereof concerning trade matters (1), and in particular Article 6 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Decision 2012/734/EU authorised the signature, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other (‘the Agreement’). Pursuant to Decision 2012/734/EU, the Agreement is to be applied on a provisional basis, pending the completion of the procedures for its conclusion. The Agreement applies on a provisional basis from 1 August 2013.

(2) Appendix 2 to Annex I to the Agreement concerns the EU’s import tariff-rate quotas for goods originating in Central America. Two tariff quotas are granted exclusively to Panama. It is therefore necessary to open tariff quotas for such products.

(3) The quotas should be managed on a first-come, first-served basis in accordance with 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 (2). In order to benefit from the tariff concessions provided for in this Regulation, the products listed in the Annex should be accompanied by a proof of origin as provided for in the Agreement. Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (3), as amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 927/2012 (4), contains new CN codes which are different from those referred to in the Agreement. The new codes should therefore be reflected in the Annex to this Regulation.

(4) Since the Agreement takes effect on 1 August 2013, this Regulation should apply from the same date.

(5) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Customs Code Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Union tariff quotas are opened for the goods originating in Panama and listed in the Annex.

Article 2

The customs duties applicable to imports into the Union of goods originating in Panama and listed in the Annex shall, within the respective tariff quotas set out in the Annex to this Regulation, be suspended.

Article 3

The products listed in the Annex shall be accompanied by a proof of origin as set out in Appendix 3 of Annex II of the Agreement.

Article 4

The tariff quotas in the Annex shall be managed by the Commission in accordance with Articles 308a to 308c of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93.

Article 5

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 August 2013.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 25 September 2013. For the Commission The President José Manuel BARROSO

(1) OJ L 346, 15.12.2012, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 256, 7.9.1987, p. 1.

(4) OJ L 304, 31.10.2012, p. 1.