ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(77)40
Vol.1977/0013

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(77)40final.
Brussels,1stMarch1977.
Proposalfora
REGULATION(EEC)OFTHECOUNCIL
ontheopening,allocationandadministration ofaCommunity
tariffquotaforcertaineelsfallingwithinsubheadingex
03.01AIIoftheCommonCustomsTariff-
(1July1977-.30June1978)
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission)
Cai(77)40final.

Explanatory Memorandum
Inrecant years ,oolfiahing inoortain Community fishing areas was
forbidden ormade impossible owing topollution ofthewaters .Efforts
were made toincrease production inother areas inorder tocompensate
atleaDt forthelosses ofthequantities available .Despite these
efforts ,itwasobserved that Community production wasstill insufficient
tosupply thedemands ofthoMember States *fish processing industries .
This situation .prompted theCouncil –onaproposal from theCommission –
toopen from 1971 aduty-free Community tariff quota forcertain fresh
eels (dead oralive ),chilled orfrozen ,falling within subheading
ex03.01 AIIoftheCommon Customs Tariff .
1»φ
Thereafter ,thesituation onthemarkets ofthesector inquestion
didnotappreciably improve .
Inthe course of1976 ,itwas decided ,atthe request of
the authorities ofthe Federal Republic ofGermany ,to
change the annual tariff quota period tothe period of
1July to30June ofeach year ,sothat the quota might
correspond better totrade requirements ,the fishing season
being mainly inthe autumn .
Thesituation ofthe eel market was reexamined atthe meeting
ofthe Working Party onEconomic Tariff Problems held on
26-27-28January 1977 .
Atthat meeting ofthe Economic Tariff Problems Group ,
itemerged that unanimous agreement could bereached on
asystem providing for the opening ofanannual tariff
quota for the period from 1July 1977 to30June 1978 .

-2-
Therefore,itwouldseemdesirabletoopenaCommunity
tariffquotaforthisperiodforavolumeof6000metric
tons ^ largelycorresponding
tothestatedrequirements oftheMemberStatesforimports
fromthirdcountries .Anysubsequent requirements couldbe
coveredbyadecisiontoincreasethequotavolumefollowing
areexamination ofthesituation .
Asregardsthesubdivision oftheabove–mentionedvolume
of6000metrictons,afirsttrancheof4800metrictons
isallocated amongthe.MemberStatesinproportion to
requirements .Thebalanceof1200metrictonswill
constitute theCommunity reserve.
Thisistheobjective oftheattachedproposal.

Proposalfora
COUNCILREGULATION (EEC)No...
■ OZ..
or.theopening,allocationandadministration ofaCommunitytariffquotafor
certaineelsfallingwithinsubheadingex03.01AIIoftheCommonCustomsTariff
(1July1977-30June1978)
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingthe
EuropeanEconomicCommunity,andinparticular
Article43thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromrheCommission,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropean
Parliament ('),
Whereaseelfishinghasbeenprohibitedorhas
becomeimpossibleincertainCommunityproduction
centres;whereasthishasledroadrop,inCommunity
productionofeelsingeneralandparticularlyof
fresheels(liveordead),chilledorfrozen,falling
withinsubheadingex03.01AIIoftheCommon
CustomsTariff,intendedforcuringorskinningor
foruseintheindustrialmanufactureofproducts
fallingwithinheadingNo16.04;whereasthe
processingindustriesintheCommunityconsequently
dependtoalargeextentonimportsfortheirsupplies,
ofeels;whereasfrom1July1977?o30June
1978theapplicationoftheautonomousCommon
CustomsTariffdutyshouldthereforebesuspended
totallyonimportsoftherelevantproductsupto
anappropriatequantitativelimit;
whereastheintroduction ofa
Communitymeasureofthisnatureisunlikelyto
-»harmCommunityproduction;
WhereascurrentdemandnotmetbyCommunity
production,$vhichmustthereforebemetbyimports,
canbeestimatedat6000metrictons
fortFFeperiodfrom1July1977
to30June1978;whereasatariffquotafortherelevant
typesofeelshouldtherefore
beopenedforthisperiodunder
theconditionssetoutabove;
whereasthefixingofthequota
volumeatthisleveldoesnot,
however,preventitsreadjust­
mentduringthequotaperiod;Whereasitisinparticularnecessarytoensuretoall
importersintheMemberStatesequaland
uninterrupted accesstotheabovementioned quota
anduninterruptedapplicationoftheratelaiddown
forthatquotatoallimportsoftheproducts
concernedintoallMemberStatesuntilthequota
hasbeenusedup;whereas,inthelightofthese
principles,theCommunitynatureofthequotacan
berespectedbyallocatingthetariffquotaamong
theMemberStateslistedbelow;whereasstatistics
availablefortheseproductsdonotgiveaclear
pictureofthemarketsituationforthem;whereas,
therefore,itisnotpossibletoallocatethequota
amongtheMemberStatesonthebasisofimport
trendsfortherelevantproductsoverthepastfew
years;whereas,however,accordingtotheestimates
putforwardbytheMemberStates,initialshares
maybefixedatthequantitiessetoutinArticle2;
Whereas,inordertotakeintoaccountimporttrends
fortheproductsconcerned,rhequotaamount
shouldbedividedintotwotranches,thefirst
tranchebeingallocated,andthesecondforminga
reserveintendedsubsequently tocoverthe
requirementsoftheMemberStateswhichhaveused
uptheirinitialshares;whereas,inordertoensure
acertaindegreeofsecurityforimporters,thefirst
trancheoftheCommunitytariffquotashouldbe
fixedatalevelwhich,underpresentcircumstances ,
maybeapproximately 80%ofthequotaamount;
Whereastheinitialsharesmaybeusedupatdifferent
rates;whereas,inordertota:kethisfactintoaccount
andtoavoidanybreakincontinuity,anyMember
Statewhichhasalmostusedupitstotalinirialshare
shoulddrawanadditionalsharefromthereserve;
whereasthismustbedonebyeachMemberStateas
andwheneachofitsadditionalsharesisalmost
entirelyusedup,andrepeatedasmanytimesasthe
reserveallows;whereastheinitialadditionalshares
mustbevaliduntiltheendofthequotaperiod;
whereasthismethodofadministration requiresclose
cooperationbetweenMemberStatesandthe
■■■/•■■

Commisftiea,which-mu»b««bt*tokeepaeeaun*
oftheextenttowhichthequotaamounthasbeen
usedup-andtoinformtheMemberStates
accordingly;
Whereas,ifatagivendareinthequotaperioda
considerablebalanceremainsinoneorotherMember
State,itisessential,topreventapartofthe
CommunitytariffquotafromremainingunusedIn
oneMemberStatewhileitcouldbeusedinothers,
thatthatMemberStateshouldreturnasignificant
proportionthereoftothereserve;' (metrictow)
Bénélux 1676
Denmark 700
Germany 2120
France 56
Ireland 4
Italy 24
UnitedKingdom 220
1_200
2.Thesecondtrancheof/metrictonsshall
constitutethereserve.
Whereas,sincetheKingdomofBelgium,theKingdom
oftheNetherlandsandtheGrandDuchyof
Luxembourg areunited.withinandjointly
representedbytheBeneluxEconomicUnion,any
measureconcerningtheadministration oftheshares
allocatedtothateconomicunionmaybecarriedout
byanyoneofitsmembers,
HASADOPTEDTHISREGULATION :Article3
1.If90%j>rmoreofaMemberState'sinitialshare
asfixedinArticle2(1),orofthatshareminusany
portionreturnedtothereservewhereArticle5has
beenapplied,hasbeenusedup,thatMemberState
shallforthwith,bynotifyingtheCommission,draw
asecondshare,totheextentthatthereserveso
permits,equalto15%ofitsinitialshare,rounded
upasnecessarytothenextwholenumber.
Article1
1977
1.Duringtheperiod1JUty/to30June197qa
Communitytariffquotaof600Ometrictonsshall
beopenedforfresheels(liveordead)chilledor
frozen,fallingwithinsubheadingex03.01AIIof
theCommonCustomsTariff,intendedforcuring
orskinningorforuseintheindustrialmanufacture
ofproductsfallingwithinheadingNo16.04,under
conditionstobedeterminedbythecompetent
authorities.2.If,afteritsinitialsharehasbeenexhausted,90%
ormoreofthesecondsharedrawnbyaMember
Statehasbeenusedup,thatMemberStateshall
forthwith,bynotifyingtheCommission,drawa
thirdshareequalto7-5%ofitsinitialshare,rounded
upasnecessarytothenextwholenumber,tothe
extentthatthereservesopermits.
3.If,afteritssecondsharehasbeenexhausted,90%
ormoreofthethirdsharedrawnbyaMember
Statehasbeenusedup,thatMemberStateshall,in
themannerprovidedinparagraph2,drawafourth
shareequaltothethird.
2.Withinthelimitsofthistariffquota,theCommon
CustomsTariffdutyshallbetotallysuspended.Thisprocedureshallapplyuntilthereserveisused
up.
4.Bywayofderogationfromparagraphs1,2a/.d
3,MemberStatesmaydrawlessersharesthanthose
specifiedthereiniftherearegroundsforbelieving
thatthosespecifiedmaynotfeeusedinfull.They
shallinformtheCommission oftheirreasonsfor
applyingthisparagraph.Article2
4800
1.Afirsttrancheof'metrictonsofthis .
Communitytariffquotashallbeallocatedamong Article4
theMemberStates.MemberStates'shares,which,
subjecttoArticle5,shall'bevalidfrom1JuIy1977AdditionalsharesdrawnpursuanttoArticle3shall
1030June1978,shallconsistofthefollowingamounts:bevaliduntil30June1978.Article4

-3-
ArticleS
MemberStatesshallreturntothereserve,notlater
than1May1978,theunusedportionsoftheir
initialshareswhich,onISApril1978,areinexcess
of20%oitheinitialamounts.Theymayreturn
agreaterportioniftherearegroundsforbelieving
thatsuchportionmaynotbeusedinfull.
MemberStatesshallnotifytheCommission ,not
laterthan1May1978,ofthetotalquantitiesof
theproductsinquestionimporteduptoand
including15•April1978,andchargedagainstthe
Communityquotaandofanyportionofthoirinitial
sharesreturnedtothereserve.
Article6
TheCommissionshallkeepanaccountoftheshares
openedbytheMemberStatespursuanttoArticles
2and3and,assoonasithasbeennotified,shall
informeachStateoftheextenttowhichthereserve
hasbeenusedup.
ItshallinformtheMemberStates,notlaterthan
5May1978,oftheamountsrillinreserveafter
amountshavebeenreturnedtheretopursuantto
Article5.
Itshallensurethatthedrawingwhichexhauststhe
reservedoesnotexceedthebalanceavailable,and
tothisendshallnotifytheamountofthatbalance
totheMemberStatemakingthelastdrawing.
Article7
1.MemberStatesshalltakeallappropriatemeasures
toensurethatadditionalsharesdrawnpursuanttoArticle3areopenedinsuchawaythatimportsmay
bechargedwithoutinterruptionagainsttheir
aggregatesharesoftheCommunityquota.
2.MemberStatesshallensurethatimportersofthe
productsinquestionestablishedintheirterritory
havefreeaccesstothesharesallocatedtothem.
\
3.MemfcerStatesshallchargeimportsofthe
productsinquestionagainsttheirsharesasandwhen
theproductsareenteredwiththecustoms
authoritiesforhomeuse.
4.TheextenttowhichaMemberStatehasused
upitsshareshallbedeterminedonthebasisofthe
impostschargedagainstthatshareinaccordance
withparagraph3.
Article8
AttheCommission'srequest,MemberStatesshall
informitoftheimportsactuallychargedagainst
theirshares.
Article9
MemberStatesandtheCommissionshallcooperate
closelytoensurethatthisRegulationiscomplied
with.
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforceon1July
1977.ArticleÎ0
ThisRegulationshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicableinallMember
States.
DoneatBrussels,
FortheCouncil
ThePresident