Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLATORY MEMORANDUM

1. In response to requests from various Member States, the Commission's departments, together with the government experts concerned, considered whether to open, increase and extend tariff quotas for certain industrial products.

2. Following the discussion, at a meeting of the Economic Tariff Questions Group, the Member States were able to approve new quotas, increases or extensions to quotas for the products covered by the proposal for a Regulation, without disturbing the markets for such products.

Hence the attached proposal for a Regulation.

Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 26 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission [1],

[1] OJ C [...] [...], p. [...]

Whereas:

(1) On 20 December 1996 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products [2]. Community demand for the products in question should be met under the most favourable conditions. New Community tariff quotas should be opened at reduced or zero rates of duty for appropriate volumes while avoiding any disturbance to the markets for these products.

[2] OJ J 345, 31.12.1996, p. 1. Regulation last amended by Regulation (EC) No 226/2004 (OJ L 39, 11.2.2004, p. 1).

(2) The quota amount for certain autonomous Community tariff quotas is insufficient to meet the needs of the Community industry for the current quota period. Consequently, these quota amounts should be increased.

(3) Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The quotas listed in the Annex to this Regulation are hereby added to Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 with effect from 1 July 2004.

Article 2

For the quota period from 1 January to 31 December 2004, in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2505/96, the quota amount of the tariff quota 09.2950 is fixed at 8 400 tonnes.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of 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, [...]

For the Council

The President

ANNEX

>TABLE POSITION>

(a) Control of the use for this special purpose shall be carried out pursuant to the relevant Community provisions.

Effective from 01.07.2004:

>TABLE POSITION>

Total loss of revenue in relation to previous quota period:

(791 472 - 197 868) EUR 593 604 net.

FRAUD PREVENTION MEASURES

Provisions on the management of these tariff quotas include the measures necessary for preventing frauds and irregularities and protecting against them.

Effective from 1.1.2004:

>TABLE POSITION>

Total loss of revenue in relation to previous quota period: (20 900 - 5 225) EUR 15 675 net.

>TABLE POSITION>