COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMVIUNITIES 
COM(93) 244 final 
Brussels, 4 June 1993 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 
opening and providing for the administration of a Community tariff quota 
for rum, tafia and arrack originating in the overseas countries and 
territories associated with the 
European Economic Community (OCT) 
(1993/94) 
(presented by the Commission) 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
V Annex V to Council Decision 91/482/EEC of 25 July 1991 stipulates that 
rum, tafia and arrack falling within CN codes 2208 40 10, 2208 40 90, 
2208 90 11 and 2208 90 19 and originating in the overseas countries 
associated with the EEC shall be imported into the Community free of 
customs duty within the limits of a tariff quota to be fixed annually 
by the Community. The Annex further stipulates that for 1993 the 
reference figure for calculating the quota is the largest annual 
volume of imports into the Community from the OCT, expressed in 
hectolitres of pure alcohol, over the last three years for which 
statistics are available. For 1994 the quota will be equivalent to 
that for the previous year plus an additional 1 740 hi of pure 
a IcohoI. 
Because of the characteristics peculiar to the market in rum, the 
quota period runs from 1 July to 30 June of the following year. 
Community imports of the goods concerned in 1989, 1990 and 1991 were 
as fol lows: 
(in hectolitres of pure alcohol) 
1989 1990 1991 
Benelux 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
I re I and 
Italy 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 0.33 
686 1 .20 
36.67 
440.16 519 51 
Total EC 1 126.49 519 88.87 
On this basis, the quota for the period 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1994 
should be 1 809.28 hectolitres of pure alcohol. The method of 
calculation is as follows: 
300 hi (volume of imports during the second half of 1989) + 639.28 hi 
(50% of 1992/93 quota) + 870 hi (50% of 1740 hi). 
However, the volume of the annual quota cannot in any case be less 
than 15 000 hectolitres of pure alcohol. 
3. As regards the administration of the quota, it is proposed that the 
whole volume be allocated to a Community reserve to which all Member 
States will have access in accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 3 of the Regulation at annex. 
This is the purpose of the attached proposal. 
ANNEXs 1 proposal for a regulation 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No /93 
Of 
opening and providing for the administration of a Community 
tariff quota for rum, tafia and arrack originating 
in the overseas countries and territories (OCT) 
associated to the European Economic Community 
(1993/1994) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES. 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, 
Having regard to Council Decision 91/482/EEC of 25 July 1991 on the 
association of the overseas countries and territories with the European 
Economic Community,1 and in particular Annex V thereto, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas Annex V to Decision 91/482/EEC stipulates that rhum, tafia and 
arrack are imported into the Community free of customs duties within the 
limits of a Community tariff quota; 
Whereas until 31 December 1995 the Community sets the quantities which may 
be imported free of customs duties; whereas those quantities are set for 
1993 on the basis of the largest annual quantities imported from the OCT 
into the Community in the last three years for which statistics are 
available; whereas for 1994 the volume of the quota will be equal to that 
of the previous year increased by 1 740 hectolitres of pure alcohol; 
Whereas, having regard to the levels reached by imports of the products 
concerned into the Community during the past three years for which 
statistics are available and as a result of the application of the method 
of calculation in force from 1 January 1994, the annual quota volume for 
the period from 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1994 should be 1 809.28 hectolitres 
of pure a IcohoI ; 
OJ No L 263, 19.9.1991, p.1 
s 
Whereas, however, in application of Article 2(a) of Annex V to 
Decision 91/482/EEC, the volume of the quota should be increased to 15 000 
hectolitres of pure alcohol; 
Whereas equal and continuous access to the said quota should be ensured for 
all Community importers and the rates laid down for the quotas should be 
applied consistently to all imports of the products in question into all 
tho Momboi Statou until the quota in «xhau^tod. whoi uau the» dot.iMlon foi 
the opening of tariff quotas in fulfilment of its internationaI obiigations 
should be taken by the Community; whereas, to ensure the efficient common 
administration of these quotas, however, there is no obstacle to 
authorizing the Member States to draw from the quota volumes the necessary 
quantities corresponding to actual imports; whereas, however, this method 
of administration requires close cooperation between the Member States and 
the Commission and the latter must, in particular, be able to monitor the 
rate at which the quotas are used up and inform the Member States 
accordingly; 
Whereas, since the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and 
the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg are united within and jointly represented by 
the Benelux Economic Union, any operation concerning the administration of 
the quotas may be carried out by any one of its members, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
1. From 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1994 the following products originating in 
the OCT shall be imported into the Community free of customs duty 
within the limits of the relevant Community tariff quota shown below: 
or doi No CN codo Desci ipt ion Quota VoIumo 
(in hi of pure 
a IcohoI Quo ta duty 
09.1621 2208 40 10 
2208 40 90 
2208 90 11 
2208 90 19 Rum, tafia and arrack 15 000 Free 
2. The rules of origin applicable to the products referred to in 
paragraph 1 shall be those laid down in Annex II to 
Decision 91/482/EEC. 
Article 2 
The tariff quota referred to in Article 1 shall be administered by the 
Commission, which may take ait appropriate administrative measures to 
ensure the effective administration thereof. 
Article 3 
if an importer presents in a Member State a declaration of entry for free 
circulation together with a request for preferential treatment for a 
product covered by this Regulation, and the declaration is accepted by the 
customs authorities, the Member State concerned shall inform the Commission 
and draw an amount corresponding to these requirements from the quota 
voIume. 
Requests to draw from the quota, indicating the date of acceptance of the 
said declarations, must be transmitted to the Commission without delay. 
Drawings shall be granted by the Commission by reference to the date of 
acceptance by the customs authorities of the Member State concerned, of the 
declarations of entry for free circulation, provided the residual balance 
so permits. 
If a Member State does not use the quantities drawn, it shall return them 
to the quota as soon as possible. 
If the quantities requested are greater than the available balance of the 
quota volume, allocation shall be made on a pro rata basis. The Member 
States shall be informed by the Commission of the drawings granted. 
Art icle 4 
Each Member State shall ensure that importers of the products concerned 
have equal and continuous access to the quota as long as the residual 
balance so permits. 
* 
Art icle 5 
The Member States and the Commission shall cooperate closely to ensure that 
this Regulation is complied with. 
Art icle 6 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its 
publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 
It shall apply from 1 July 1993. 
This regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in 
all Member States. 
Done at Brussels, 
For the CounciI 
The President 
FINANCIAL STATEMENT 
1. Budget heading: Chapter 12, Article 120 
2* Legal basis: Article 136 of the Treaty 
3. Title of tariff measuret Proposal for a Council Regulation opening 
and providing for the administration of a Community tariff quota for 
rum, tafia and arrack (CN codes 2208 40 10, 2208 40 90, 2208 90 11, 
2208 90 19) originating in the overseas countries and territories 
associated with the European Economic Community (OCT) (1993/1994) 
4. Aim: To implement an autonomous measure (Decision relating to the 
association of Overseas Countries and Territories to the EEC) 
5. Method of calculation: 
CN codes: 2208 40 10, 2208 40 90, 2208 90 11, 2208 90 19 
Volume of the quota: 15 000 hi 
Duty to be applied: free 
Normal CCT duty: 
in containers holding 2 litres or less: ECU l/hl/% vol alcohol 
+ ECU 5/hi 
in containers holding more than 2 litres: ECU l/hl/% vol alcohol 
+ ECU 5/hi 
<5 
6. Loss of revenue: 
The loss stands at ECU 1 504 725 for the period 1.7.1993 to 30.6.1994 
(containers holding 2 litres or less: 945 hi; containers holding more 
than 2 litres: 14 055 hi). 
For the period 1992/93 the loss stood at the same level. 
Method of calculation 
15 000 x 400 - 945 (< 2 I) 
6 346 
15 000 X 5 946 - 14 055 (> 2 I) 
6 346 
15 000 
945 x 105 - 99 225 
14 055 X 100 - 1 405 500 
ECU 1 504 725 

ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(93) 244 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN lira 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-93-274-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-56269-2 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg