COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
C0M(91) 514 final 
Brussels, 9 December 1991 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 
opening and providing for the administration of autonomous 
Community tariff quotas for certain fishery products (1992) 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 
partially and temporariIy|suspending the autonomous duties 
of the Common Customs Tariff on certain fish fillets (1992) 
(presented by the Commission) 
^a™.JiSo^y»1v4yJ-
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
As part of the annual overall review within the Council concerning the 
granting of autonomous preferences for fishery products, the Commission has 
drawn up a report on the markets and supply needs of user industries for 
1992. 
Having regard to the requirements of the internal and external policies of 
the Community, the Commission is proposing a certain number of tariff 
measures, notably reduced duty tariff quotas or suspensions, to ensure 
continuation of Community production in the content of the rules and 
obligations of the common organisation of the markets and to ensure supply 
of the processing industries while also taking into account the current and 
foreseeable situation on the international market. 
In these conditions, the tariff preferences for the products specified are 
for products which meet the conditions laid down as regards the reference 
prices fixed, or to be fixed, and which are intended for processing. 
Furthermore, this proposal foresees the opening of tariff measures from 1 
April 1992 for a period extending to 31 December 1992 in order to allow 
planning of supply to the industry without destabilizing the revenue of 
Community producers. 
This is the purpose of the attached proposals. 
Proposal for 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 
of. /91 
opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for 
certain fishery products (1992) 
THE COUNCIL OJ THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 28 
thereof, 
Having regard ro the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas Community supplies of certain species of fish or fish 
fillets currently depend on imports from third countries; 
whereas it is in the Community's interest to suspend partially 
the customs dunes for the products in question, within 
Community tariff quotas of an appropriate volume; 
whereas, in order not to jeopardize the development 
prospects of this production in the Community and to ensure 
an adequate supply to satisfy user industries, it is advisable to 
open these quotas for the period from 1 April to 31 December 
1992 applying customs duties varied accordingly to 
sensitivity of the different products on the Community 
market; 
Whereas it is necessary, in particular, to ensure for all 
Community importers equal and uninterrupted access to the 
said quotas and to ensure the uninterrupted application of 
the rates laid down for the quotas to all imports of the 
products concerned into all Member States until the quotas have been used up; whereas rhe necessary measures should be 
taken to ensure efficient Community management of the 
tariff quotas, while allowing Member States to draw on the 
quota volumes the necessary quantities which correspond to 
importations actually made; whereas this type of 
management requires close cooperation between the 
Member States and the Commission; 
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 relating to the administration of the 
tariff quotas may be carried out by any of its members, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
1. From 1 April to 31 December 199 3 the customs duties 
applicable on importation to products listed below shall be 
suspended at the levels and within the limits of the 
Community tariff quotas; indicated for each product: 
Series 
No 
09.2753 
09.2755 
09.2757 
09.2765 CN code 
ex 0302 50 
ex 0302 69 35 
ex 0303 60 
ex 0303 79 41 
ex 0302 63 00 
ex 0303 73 00 
ex 0302 62 00 
ex 0303 72 00 
0305 62 00 
0305 69 10 Description 
Cod (Gadus morhua, Gadus ogac, Gadus macrocephalus), and fish of 
the genus Boreogadus saida, excluding, livers, roes, presented fresh, 
chilled or frozen, for processing (a) (b) 
Coalfish (Pollachtus virens), excluding livers, roes, presented fresh, 
chilled or frozen, for processing (a) (b) 
Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), excluding livers, roes, 
presented fresh, chilled or frozen, for processing (a) (b) 
Cod (Gadus morhua, Gadus ogac, Gadus macrocephalus) and fish of the 
species Boreogadus saida, salted or in brine, but not dried or smoked Amount of 
quota 
(in tonnes) 
50 000 
20 000 
6 000 
51 500 Quota dutv 
(%) 
3,7 
ij 
3,7 
5 
Sen, 
N. 
09.2767 
09.2769 
09.2771 
09.2773 
09.2789 CN code 
(') 
0305 51 10 
0305 59 11 
0305 30 11 
0305 30 19 
ex 0305 30 90 
ex 0306 13 10 
ex 0306 23 10 
ex 0302 21 10 
ex 0303 31 10 Description 
Cod (Gadus morhua, Gadus orgac, Gadus macrocephalus) and fish of 
the species Boreogadus saida, dried, unsalted, not: smoked 
Fish fillets, salted Of in brine »°^co^ (Gadus morhua, Gadus 
ogac, Gadus macrocephalus) and of fish of the species Boreogadus 
lid a 
Fillets of coalfish Poltachius virens), salted, for processing (a) (b) 
Shrimps and prawns of the species Pandalus borealis, in shell, fresh, 
chilled or frozen, for processing (a) (b) 
Lesser or Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides), fresh, 
chilled or frozen, tor processing (a) (b) Amount ol 
quou 
(in loniu-s. 
300 
2 000 
3 500 
5 000 
6 000 Quota duty 
10 
(') See Taric codes in the Annex. 
'aï Control of the use for this special purpose shall be c.uried out pursuant to the relevant Community provisions. 
'b; The quota shall apply to products intended to undergo any operation unless they arc intended to undergo exclusively one or more of the following 
operations: 
— cleaning, gutting, tailing, heading. 
— cutting (excluding filleting or cutting of frozen blocks.. 
— sampling, sorting, 
— labelling, 
•- packing, 
— chilling, 
— freezing, 
— deep freezing, 
— thawing, separation. 
The quota is not allowed for products intended, in addition to undergo treatment (or operations) qualifying for the quota where such treatment {or operations) is 
(are) carried out at retail or catering level. The reduction of customs duties shall apply only to fish intended for human consumption. 
2. Within the limits of these tariff quotas, the Kingdom of 
Spain and the Portuguese Republic shall apply customs duties 
calculated in accordance with the relevant provisions in the 
Act of Accesion. 
3. Imports of the products in question shall not be 
covered by the quotas referred to in paragraph 1 unless the 
free-at-frontier price, which is determined by the Member 
States in accordance with Article 21 of Regulation (EEC) No 
3796/81('), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 
3468/88 (2), is at least equal to the reference price fixed, or 
to be fixed, by the Community for the products under 
consideration of the categories of the products concerned. 
Article 2 
The tariff quotas referred to in Article 1 shall be managed 
by the Commission, which may take all appropriate 
administrative measures in order to ensure effective 
administration thereof. 
Article 3 
If an importer presents in a Member State an entry for release 
for free circulation, including a request for preferential 
(') OJ No L 379, 31. 12. 1981, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No L 305, 10. 11. 1988, p. 1. benefit for a product covered by this Regulation and if this 
entry for release is accepted by the customs authorities, the 
Member States concerned shall inform the Commission and 
draw an amount corresponding to its requirements from the 
corresponding quota amount. 
The drawing requests, with indication of the date of 
acceptance of the said entries, must be transmitted to the 
Commission without delay. 
The drawings are granted by the Commission by reference to 
the date of acceptance of the entries for release for free 
circulation by the customs authorities of the Member States 
concerned to the extent that the available balance so 
permits. 
If a Member State does not use the quantities drawn, it shall 
return them as soon as possible to the corresponding quota 
amount. 
If the quantities requested are greater than the available 
balance of the quota amount, allocation shall be made on a 
pro rata basis with respect to the requests. Member States 
shall be informed by the Commission of the drawings 
made. 
Article 4 
Each Member State shall ensure that importers of the 
products concerned have equal and uninterrupted access to 
the quotas for such time as the residual balance of the quota 
volumes so permits. Article 5 
The Member States and the Commission shall cooperate 
closely to ensure that this Regulation is complied with. 
Article 6 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 April 1992-
This Regulation shall be binding in -its entirety and directly applicable in all Member 
States. ! 
Done at Brussels, 
ANNEX For the Council 
The President 
Scries No 
09.2753 
09.2755 
09.2757 
09.2769 
09.2771 
09.2773 
09.2789 CNcode 
ex 0302 50 10 
ex 0302 50 90 
ex 0302 50 90 
ex 0302 69 35 
ex 0303 60 11 
ex 0303 60 19 
ex 0303 60 90 
ex 0303 79 41 
ex 0302 63 00 
ex 0303 73 00 
ex 0302 62 00 
ex 0303 72 00 
ex 0305 30 11 
ex 0305 30 19 
ex 0305 30 90 
ex 0306 13 10 
ex 0306 23 10 
ex 0306 23 10 
ex 0302 21 10 
ex 0302 31 10 Taric code 
* 10 
* 11 
»91 
* 10 
* 10 
M0 
» 10 
* 10 
* 10 
* 10 
* 10 
* 10 
* 10 
* 10 
* 13 
* 10 
* 11 
»91 
* 10 
* 10 
5" 
proposal for 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No /91 
partially and temporarily suspending the autonomous duties of the Common Customs 1 ariff 
on certain fish fillets (199p) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in 
particular Article 28 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas Community supplies of fillets of certain species of fish currently depend on imports 
from third countries; whereas it is in the Community's interest to suspend partially the customs 
duties for the products in question; whereas, in order not to jeopardize the development 
prospects of production of competitive products in the Community and to ensure an adequate 
supply to satisfy user industries, it is advisable to limit these suspension measures to a period 
from 1 April to 31 December 199 2 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article I 
From 1 April to 31 December 1992, the autonomous duties of the Common Customs Tariff 
applicable to the products listed below shall be suspended at the level indicated in respect of 
each of them: 
CNcode 
C) 
ex 0304 20 57 
ex 0304 90 47 
ex 0304 20 85 Description Rate of dutv 
Fillets and meat of hake (Merluccius spp., excluding the genus I 
Merluccius merluccius, Merluccius bilinearis) 
, in the form of industrial blocks, frozen, for 
processing (a) (b) 
Fillets of Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma), in the form of 
industrial blocks, frozen, for processing (a) (b) 10 
5 
(') See Taric codes in the Annex. 
(a) Control of the use for this special purpose shall be carried out pursuant to the relevant Community provisions 
(b) The suspension shall apply to products intended to undergo any operation unless they are intended to undergo 
exclusively one or more of the following operations: 
— cleaning, gutting, tailing, heading, 
— cutting (excluding filleting or cutting of frozen blocks), 
— sampling, sorting, 
— labelling, 
— packing, 
— chilling, 
— freezing, 
— deep freezing, 
— thawing, separation. 
The suspension is not allowed for products intended, in addition, to undergo treatment (or operations) qualifying for 
the suspension where such treatment (or operations) is (are) carried out at retail or catering level. The reduction of 
customs duties shall apply only to fish intended for human consumption. 
2. In the framework of these suspensions, the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese 
Republic shall apply customs duties calculated in accordance with the relevant provisions in the 
Act of Accession. 
3. Imports of the products in question shall not be covered by the suspensions icl.rml to in 
paragraph 1 unless the free-at-frontier price, which is determined by the Member States m 
accordance with Article 21 of Regulation (EEC) No 3796/81 ('), •'•' l'lst amended by-
Regulation (LLC.) No 3468/88 (•'), is at least equal to the reference price fixed, oi to be lixed, 
by the Community for the products under consideration or the categories of the products 
concerned. 
Article 2 
This. Regulation shall enter into force on 1 April 199K 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member 
States. 
Done at Brussels 
For the Council 
The Président 
ANNEX 
CNcodc 
ex 0304 20 57 
ex 0304 20 57 
ex 0304 20 85 
ex 0304 9047 Taric code 
•31 
•41 
• 10 
• 30 
(') OJ No L 379, 31. 12. 1981, p. 1. 
H OJ No L 305, 10. 11. 1988, p. 2. 
* 
FINANCIAL RECORD 
1. Budget Iine concerned : Chap. 12 Art. 120 
2. Legal basis : Art. 28 of the Treaty 
3. Title of the tariff measure concerned : Proposals for Council 
Regulations opening and providing for the administration of Community 
tariff quotas or partially suspending the duties for certain fishery 
product (1992) 
4. Objective : To ensure an adequate supply for Community user 
industries 
5. Cost of this tar iff-measure : 
On the basis of the available Community and national statistics, the 
cost of this tariff-measure is estimated at 28.izo.4^9 ecus. 
Compared with 1991, increased loss of 10-2>92.2£9 ecus. 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(91) 514 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 03 02 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-91-561-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-78467-9 
Offîce for Official Publications of the European Communities 
Lr2985 Luxembourg