EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.2001 L 82/12
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 555/2001
of 21 March 2001
opening an invitation to tender for the reduction in the duty on maize imported into Portugal
from third countries
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the EuropeanCommunity,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 of 30
June 1992 on the common organisation of the market incereals (
1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1666/
2000 (2), and in particular Article 12(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Pursuant to the Agreement on Agriculture concluded
during the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade nego-tiations, the Community has undertaken to import acertain quantity of maize into Portugal.
(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1839/95 of 26 July1995 laying down detailed rules for the application oftariff quotas for imports of maize and sorghum intoSpain and imports of maize into Portugal (
3), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 2235/2000 (4), lays
down the rules governing the administration of thosespecial arrangements. This Regulation lays down thespecial additional detailed rules necessary for imple-menting the invitation to tender, in particular thoserelating to the lodging and release of the security to belodged by operators to ensure compliance with theirobligations and, in particular, the obligation to processor use the imported product on the Portuguese market.
(3) In the light of current market needs in Portugal, aninvitation to tender for the reduction in the duty onimports of maize should be opened in the framework ofthese special arrangements for imports.
(4) As a result of the temporary closure of the Danube totrade, transport costs for maize originating in countriesthrough which that river flows and which no longerhave access by sea to the Iberian peninsula haveincreased considerably. Accordingly, the rate of dutyapplying to such imports no longer reflects the realimpact of the costs of transport. As a consequence, totake these facts into account a further reduction should
be made in the import duty for the purposes of invita-tions to tender opened by this Regulation.
(5) The measures provided for in this Regulation are inaccordance with the opinion of the ManagementCommittee for Cereals,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. An invitation to tender is hereby opened for the reduc-
tion in the import duty referred to in Article 10(2) of Regula-tion (EEC) No 1766/92 on maize to be imported into Portugal.
2. The invitation to tender shall be open until 31 May 2001.
During that period, weekly invitations shall be issued withquantities and closing dates as shown in the notice of invitationto tender.
3. Regulation (EC) No 1839/95 shall apply save as other-
wise provided for in this Regulation.
Article 2
Import licences issued under these invitations to tender shall be
valid 50 days from the date they are issued, within the meaningof Article 10(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1839/95.
Article 3
The reduction in duty granted under the invitations to tender
shall be increased by EUR 10 per tonne for imports originatingin landlocked countries through which the Danube flows.
Article 4
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publica-
tion in the Official Journal of the European Communities .
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 21 March 2001.
For the Commission
Franz FISCHLER
Member of the Commission
(1) OJ L 181, 1.7.1992, p. 21.
(2) OJ L 193, 29.7.2000, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 177, 28.7.1995, p. 4.
(4) OJ L 256, 10.10.2000, p. 13.