Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 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)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

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

2. Following the discussion, at a meeting of the Economic Tariff Questions Group, it was concluded that the Member States could approve increases 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 (EC) 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) Whereas, by virtue of Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 (1), the Council opened Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products; whereas Community demand for the products in question should be met under the most favourable conditions; whereas Community tariff quotas should therefore be opened at reduced or zero rates of duty for appropriate volumes, and increased or extended in the case of certain existing tariff quotas, avoiding any disturbance to the markets for these products;

(1) OJ L 345, 31.12.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2780/98 (OJ L 347, 23.12.1998, p. 5).

(2) Whereas Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 should therefore be amended,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

For the quota period from 1 January to 31 December 1999, Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 is hereby amended as follows:

- order number 09.2887: the amount of the tariff quota shall be altered to 400 tonnes,

- order number 09.2942: the amount of the tariff quota shall be altered to 3,000 tonnes,

- order number 09.2966: the amount of the tariff quota shall be altered to 12,000 tonnes.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

This Regulation shall apply with effect from 1 January 1999.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

1. Title of operation

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

2. Budget heading involved

Chapter 12, Article 120

3. Legal basis

Article 26 of the Treaty

4. Description of operation

4.1 General objective

To ensure that the Community processing industry is supplied on favourable terms.

5. Financial impact

5.1 Method of calculating total cost of operation (relation between individual and total costs)

Note: this table lists only products to the Regulation which have a financial incidence.

>TABLE>

Total loss of revenue in relation to the previous quota period: + 562,535 EUR.

6. Fraud prevention measures

Provisions on the management of tariff quotas include the measures needed to prevent and protect against frauds and irregularities.