Notice to Community importers of certain products originating in the People's Republic of China subject to quantitative quotas

(1999/C 181/04)

In accordance with Article 3 of Council Regulation (EC) No 520/94 of 7 March 1994 establishing a Community procedure for administering quantitative quotas(1), Community importers are informed of the following:

1. By regulation (EC) No 1369/1999(2) the European Commission has laid down specific procedures for the administration in 2000 of certain Community quantitative quotas introduced in respect of the People's Republic of China by Council Regulation (EC) No 519/94(3).

2. These quotas will be administered using the method based on traditional trade flows (Article 2(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 520/94). Under this method, the quotas are divided in two parts, one reserved for traditional importers and the other for other importers. The part reserved for other importers will, however, be allocated on a pro rata basis according to the quantities requested; the quantity requested by a non-traditional importer may not exceed the quantity or value indicated for each product in Annex I to this notice.

Traditional importers are those able to show that they imported into the Community the product or products covered by the quotas in question in the calendar years 1997 or 1998.

3. In order to qualify for the allocation of these quotas, Community importers, no matter where they are established in the Community, may lodge with the competent authorities of the Member State of their choice a single license application for each quota, drawn up in the official language or languages of the Member State concerned. The list of competent authorities can be found in Annex II to this notice.

4. In accordance with Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 738/94 of 30 March 1994 laying down certain rules for the implementation of Regualtion (EC) No 520/94(4), the import licence application shall state only:

(a) the applicant's full name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and any identification number registered with the competent national authorities) and VAT registration number, if liable for VAT;

(b) the quota period in question, i.e."2000";

(c) where applicable, the full name and address of the declarant or the applicant's representative (including telephone and fax numbers);

(d) a description of the goods, giving:

- their trade description,

- Combined Nomenclature (CN) code,

- details of their origin and place of consignment;

(e) tthe quantities requested, expressed in the unit used to set the quota;

(f) where the licence application relates to footwear and the quantitative quota covers two CN codes, a breakdown by CN code of the quantities requested;

(g) the following statement followed by the date, the applicant's signature and his name printed in capital letters:

"I, the undersigned, declare that the information given in this application is correct and is given in good faith, that I am established in the European Community, and that this application is the only one made by me or on my behalf for the quota relating to the goods described in this application.

I undertake to return the licence to the competent issuing authority within 10 working days of its expiry

".

5. To qualify for the allocation of that part of the quota reserved for traditional importers, importers shall enclose with their licence applications certified copies of the entries for release for free circulation made out during either the 1997 or the 1998 calendar year in their name or that of the operator whose activities they have taken over in respect of the release for free circulation of the products originating in the People's Republic of China covered by the quantitative quota referred to in the licence application.

Alternatively, applicants may enclose with their licence applications documents drawn up and certified by the competent national authorities on the basis of the customs information available to them showing that the applicants or the operators whose activities they have taken over imported the products concerned during either the 1997 or the 1998 calendar year.

Alternatively, applicants already holding import licences issued under Community legislation (either Regulation (EC) No 1657/96 and/or (EC) No 1140/97 or Regulations (EC) No 2021/97 and/or (EC) No 1280/98) for the product covered by the quantitative quota concerned by the licence application may enclose with their licence applications a copy of their previous licences. In this case, however, they shall state in their import licence applications the aggregate volume of the actual imports of the product concerned in either 1997 or 1998.

6. Applications for import licences may be lodged from the day after the publication in theOfficial Journal of the European Communities of Commission Regulation (EC) No .../1999 of ... until 10 September 1999 at 3 pm. Brussels time.

7. Note:

The provisions governing the quotas referred to in this notice result from the following Regulations:

- Council Regulation (EC) No 520/94

(OJ L 66, 10.3.1994, p. 1),

- Council Regulation (EC) No 519/94

(OJ L 67, 10.3.1994, p. 89),

- Council Regulation (EC) No 1138/98

(OJ L 159, 3.6.1998, p. 1),

- Commission Regulation (EC) No 738/94

(OJ L 87, 31.3.1994, p. 47),

- Commission Regulation (EC) No 983/96

(OJ L 131, 1.6.1996, p. 47),

- Commission Regultaion (EC) No 1369/1999 of 25.6.1999

(OJ L 162, 26.6.1999, p. 35).

(1) OJ L 66, 10.3.1994, p. 1; Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 138/96 (OJ L 21, 27.1.1996, p. 6).

(2) OJ L 162, 26.6.1999, p. 35.

(3) OJ L 67, 10.3.1994, p. 89; Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1138/98 (OJ L 159, 3.6.1998, p. 1).

(4) OJ L 87, 31.3.1994, p. 47; Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 983/96 (OJ L 131, 1.6.1996. p. 47).

ANNEX I

Maximum quantity which may be requested by each importer other than traditional

>TABLE>

ANEXO II - /ANNEXE II - /BILAG II - /ANNEX II - /ANHANG II - /ALLEGATO II - /ΠΑΡΑΡΤΗΜΑ ΙΙ - /ANEXO II - /BIJLAGE II - /LIITEI II - /BILAGA II

Lista de las autoridades nacionales competentes/Liste des autorités nationales compétentes/Liste over kompetente nationale myndigheder/List of the national competent authorities/Liste der zuständigen Behörden der Mitgliedstaaten/Elenco delle autorità nazionli competenti/Πίνακας των αρμόδιων εθνικών αρχών/Lista das autoridades nacionais competentes/Lijst van bevoegde nationale instanties/Luettelo kansallisista toimivaltaisista viranomaisista/Lista över nationella kompetenta myndigheter