Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation 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 to open and 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 new quotas and increases 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 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 L

Whereas:

(1) By virtue of Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 [2], the Council opened Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products; Community demand for the products in question should be met under the most favourable conditions; Community tariff quotas should therefore be opened at zero rates of duty for appropriate volumes and increased in the case of certain existing tariff quotas, while avoiding any disturbance to the markets for these products.

[2] OJ L 345, 31.12.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2745/1999 (OJ L 331, 23.12.1999, p.17 ).

(2) Having regard to the economic importance of the said Regulation for European industry and the requirement that it enter into force on 1 July 2000, it is necessary to invoke the ground of urgency referred to in point I (3) of the additional Protocol to the Treaty of Amsterdam on the role of national parliaments in the European Union.

(3) 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 2000, Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 shall be amended as follows:

-order number 09.2950: the amount of the tariff quota shall be altered to 5.000 tonnes.

Article 2

The table in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 is amended by the table set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 3

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

It shall apply from 1 July 2000, except for Article 1 which shall apply from 1 January 2000.

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

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

ANNEX

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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(s) involved

Chapter 12, Article 120 (1210 + 1060)

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)

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Total loss of revenue in relation to the previous quota period: + 1.060.383 EUR.

6. Fraud prevention measures

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