Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) extending the period during which transitional measures may be adopted under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 3290/94 on the adjustments and transitional arrangements required in the agricultural sector in order to implement the agreements concluded during the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations
Date: 1996-05-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: GATT, Uruguay Round, agricultural product, preferential agreement, trade agreement

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 29.05.1996 
COM(96) 233 final 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  (EC) 

extending  the period during  which transitional  measures may  be adopted  under 

Article  3 of Regulation  (EC) No 3290/94 on the adjustments  and  transitional 

arrangements required  in the agricultural  sector  in order to implement the  agreements 

concluded  during the Uruguay  Round of multilateral  trade  negotiations 

(presented  by the  Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

The  Community's  undertakings  in  the  agricultural  sector  under  the  Uruguay  Round 

negotiations  were  essentially  implemented  by  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 3290/94. 

Article  3  of  that  Regulation  provides  that  the  Commission,  acting  according  to  the 

management  committee  procedure,  may,  up  to  30  June  1996,  adopt  the  measures 

necessary to facilitate the switch-over from the old to the new arrangements and that these 

measures may not apply beyond that date. The Commission has used that power to ensure 

a smooth transition  to the arrangements  introduced  as a result  of the  Uruguay  Round  in 

the  common  market  organisations  concerned.  It  also  used  Article  3  to  ensure  that  the 

undertakings entered  into by the Community in certain preferential  agreements with third 

countries (for example, the Lomé Convention, association agreements with Mediterranean 

countries, etc.) were respected  pending the adjustment  of those agreements to the results 

of  the  Uruguay  Round  negotiations.  Some  of  those  agreements  are  currently  being 

adjusted,  but the process is unlikely to be completed before 30 June 1996, so the Council 

is requested  to extend  by one year the period  during  which the  Commission  may  adopt 

transitional  measures. 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EC) No 

/96 

extending  the period  during which transitional  measures may  be adopted  under 

Article  3 of  Regulation  (EC) No 3290/94  on the adjustments  and  transitional 

arrangements  required  in the agricultural  sector  in order  to implement  the  agreements 

concluded  during  the Uruguay  Round  of multilateral  trade  negotiations 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the European  Community, 

Having  regard  to  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  3290/94  of  22 December  1994  on  the 

adjustments  and transitional  arrangements  required  in the agricultural  sector  in order  to 

implement  the  agreements  concluded  during  the  Uruguay  Round  of  multilateral  trade 
negotiations1, and  in particular  Article  3(2) thereof, 

Having  regard  to the proposal  from  the  Commission, 

Whereas  Article  3 of  Regulation  (EC) No  3290/94  authorises the  Commission  to  adopt 

the measures required to facilitate  the switch-over from  the arrangements existing  before 

implementation  of the results of the Uruguay  Round negotiations to those resulting  from 

the adjustments to agricultural legislation provided for in the above-mentioned Regulation; 

whereas  such  measures  may  only  be  adopted  up  to  30 June  1996  and  may  not  apply 

beyond that date; whereas it transpires that certain matters which are currently  regulated 

by  transitional  measures  cannot  be  settled  definitively  before  the  above  date;  whereas 

these matters concern in particular certain arrangements entered into with third countries; 

whereas  it  is  therefore  necessary  to  extend  by  one  year  the  period  during  which  the 

Commission  may  adopt  transitional  measures, 

HAS ADOPTED  THIS  REGULATION: 

1 

OJ No L 349, 31.12.1994, p. 105. 

3 

Article 1 

The period laid down in Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No  3290/94  is hereby extended 

to 30 June  1997. 

Article 2 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal 

of the European  Communities. 

It shall  apply  from  1 July  1996. 

fhis  Regulation  shall  be  binding  in  its  entirety  and  directly  applicable  in  all  Member 

States. 

Done at  Brussels, 

For the  Council 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(96) 233  final 

DOCUMENTS 

11  03 

Catalogue number  : CB-CO-96-244-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-04496-2 

Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 

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