EN Official Journal of the European Union L 125/1

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 530/2007

of 8 May 2007

amending Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process

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) Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 (1) provides for unlimited duty-free access to the Community market for nearly all products originating in the countries and territories benefiting from the Stabilisation and Association process.

(2) A Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part, was signed in Luxembourg on 12 June 2006. Pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force, an Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part (2), was signed and concluded and entered into force on 1 December 2006.

(3) The Stabilisation and Association Agreements and the Interim Agreements establish a contractual trade regime between the Community and each of the beneficiary countries. The bilateral trade concessions on the Community side are equivalent to the concessions applicable within the unilateral autonomous trade measures under Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000.

(4) It is therefore appropriate to amend Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 to take into account these developments. In particular, it is appropriate to remove the Republic of Albania from the list of beneficiaries of the tariff concessions granted for the same products under the contractual regime. In addition, it is necessary to adjust the global tariff quota volumes for specific products for which tariff quotas have been granted under the contractual regimes.

(5) The Republic of Albania, the Republic of Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will remain beneficiaries of Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 insofar as that Regulation provides for concessions which are more favourable than the concessions existing under the contractual regimes,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article 1 shall be replaced by the following: ‘Article 1 Preferential arrangements 1. Subject to the special provisions laid down in Articles 3 and 4, products originating in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Montenegro or in the customs territories of Serbia or Kosovo, other than those of heading Nos 0102, 0201, 0202, 1604, 1701, 1702 and 2204 of the Combined Nomenclature, shall be admitted for import into the Community without quantitative restrictions or measures having equivalent effect and with exemption from customs duties and charges having equivalent effect. 2. Products originating in Albania, in the Republic of Croatia or in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia shall continue to benefit from the provisions of this Regulation when so indicated or from any measures provided in this Regulation which are more favourable than the trade concessions provided for in the framework of bilateral agreements between the European Community and these countries. 3. Imports of sugar products under heading Nos 1701 and 1702 of the Combined Nomenclature originating in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Montenegro or in the customs territories of Serbia or Kosovo, shall benefit from concessions provided for in Article 4.’;

2. in Article 4, paragraph 4 shall be replaced by the following: ‘4. Imports of sugar products under heading Nos 1701 and 1702 of the Combined Nomenclature originating in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the customs territories of Serbia or Kosovo, shall be subject to the following annual duty-free tariff quotas: (a) 12 000 tonnes (net weight) for sugar products originating in Bosnia and Herzegovina; (b) 180 000 tonnes (net weight) for sugar products originating in Montenegro and the customs territories of Serbia or Kosovo.’;

3. Annex I shall be replaced by the text appearing in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Goods which, on 16 May 2007, are either in transit or in the Community in temporary storage, customs warehouses or free zones, and for which before that date a proof of origin of Albania or of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has been properly issued in accordance with Title IV, Chapter 2, Section 2 of 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 (3), shall continue to benefit from Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 until 16 September 2007.

Article 3

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

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 8 May 2007. For the Council The President P. STEINBRÜCK

(1) OJ L 240, 23.9.2000, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1946/2005 (OJ L 312, 29.11.2005, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 239, 1.9.2006, p. 2.

(3) OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 214/2007 (OJ L 62, 1.3.2007, p. 6).