EN OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 1.11.2000 L279/13
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2424/2000
of 31 October 2000
openingan invitation to tender for the reduction in the duty on maize imported into Spain from
third countries
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the EuropeanCommunity,
HavingregardtoCouncilRegulation(EEC)No1766/92of30
June 1992 on the common organisation of the market incereals(
1), at 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 Spain.
(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 thoserelatingtothelodgingandreleaseofthesecuritytobelodged by operators to ensure compliance with theirobligations and, in particular, the obligation to processor use the imported product on the Spanish market.
(3)InthelightofcurrentmarketneedsinSpain,aninvita-tiontotenderforthereductioninthedutyonimportsof maize should be opened in the framework of thesespecial arrangements for imports.
(4)As a result of the temporary closure of the Danube totrade,transportcostsformaizeoriginatingincountriesthrough 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 cost of transport. As a consequence, totakethesefactsintoaccountafurtherreductionshould
bemadeintheimportdutyforthepurposesofinvita-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-
tionintheimportdutyreferredtoinArticle10(2)ofRegula-tion (EEC) No 1766/92 on maize to be imported into Spain.
2. Theinvitationtotendershallbeopenuntil14December
2000. During that period, weekly invitations shall be issuedwith quantities and closing dates as shown in the notice ofinvitation to tender.
3. Regulation (EC) No 1839/95 shall apply save as other-
wise provided for in this Regulation.
Article 2
Importlicencesissuedundertheseinvitationstotendershallbe
valid50daysfromthedatetheyareissued,withinthemeaningof Article 10(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1839/95.
Article 3
The reduction in duty granted under the invitations to tender
shallbeincreasedbyEUR 10pertonneforimportsoriginatingin landlocked countries through which the Danube flows.
Article 4
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforceonthedayofitspublica-
tion in the Official Journal of the European Communities .
ThisRegulationshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicableinallMemberStates.
Done at Brussels, 31 October 2000.
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.