Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) providing for the reduction of the tariff rate applicable to imports under the WTO tariff quota for certain live bovine animals
Date: 1996-07-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, World Trade Organisation, cattle, import policy, live animal, tariff quota

COMMISSION  OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

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Brussels,  05.07.1996 
COM(96) 324 final 

96/0171 (ACC) 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EC) 

p r o v i d i ng 
i m p o r ts 

f or 
u n d er 

t he 
t he  WTO 

r e d u c t i on  of 

t a r i ff 

t he 
q u o ta 

t a r i ff 
f or 

r a te 
c e r t a in 

a p p l i c a b le 
l i ve 

to 
b o v i ne 

a n i m a ls 

(presented  by  the  Commission) 

Explanatory Memorandum 

In the Uruguay Round the Communities undertook to open an annual 
tariff quota for 169 000 head of live bovine animals at an in-
quo ta rate of 16 % + 582 ECU/t.  In general, imports under this 
quota are made  from CEEC countries and in the framework of the 
transitional  measures  adopted  by  the  Council  for  preferential 
imports  in  the  framework  of  the  Europe Agreements  (Regulation 
(EC) No 3066/95) , it is provided that the Commission may reduce 
the specific amount of the in-quota rate to 399 ECU/t. 

It  would  be  inconsistent  with  the  Community's  MFN  obligations 
under  the WTO,  if  the reduced  rate were  to be applied  only  to 
live animals  from the CEEC countries. The aim of this proposal 
is,  therefore,  to  apply  the  reduced  rate  to  all  imports, 
irrespective of the origin of the live animals. 

The proposal will have no financial effect. 

I 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 

providing  for  the  reduction  of  the  tariff  rate  applicable  to 
imports  under  the  WTO  tariff  quota  for  certain  live  bovine 
animals 

THE  COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 
and  in particular Article  113  thereof, 

Having  regard  to the proposal  from  the  Commission, 

Whereas  the  Community  has  undertaken  in  the  framework  of  the 
World  Trade  Organisation  (WTO),  to open  an  annual  tariff  quota 
of  169.000  head  of  certain  live  bovine  animals;  whereas  the 
tariff  rate  that  is  applicable  for  imports  under  this  quota  is 
composed of a 16%  ad  valorem  duty and of a specific amount of 582 
ECU/tonne; 

Whereas  Council  Regulation  (EC)  N*  2179/95  of  8  August  1995, 
providing  for the adjustment, as an autonomous  and  transitional 
measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided  for in the 
Europe Agreements and amending Regulation  (EC) N° 33 79/94 opening 
and  administering  certain  Community  tariff  quotas  in  1995  for 
certain  agricultural  products  and  for  beer,  to  take  account  of 
the  Agreement  concluded  during  the  Uruguay  Round  Multilateral 
Trade  Negotiations  (1) , as  well  as  Council  Regulation  (EC)  N° 
3066/95 of 22 December 1995, establishing certain concessions  in 
the  form  of  Community  tariff  quotas  for  certain  agricultural 
products  and providing  for the adjustment, as an autonomous  and 
transitional  measure,  of  certain  agricultural  concessions 
provided  in  the  Europe  Agreements  to  take  account  of  the 
Agreement  on Agriculture  concluded  during  the  Uruguay  Round  of 
Multilateral  Trade  Négociations  (2),  as  last  modified  by 
Regulation  (EC) N°  ..../96  (3), provide  for  the  possibility  to 
reduce the specific amount that is payable upon import within the 
tariff  quota  for 169.000 head of certain live bovine animals, to 
3 99 ECU/tonne in respect of animals originating in the associated 
countries  of  Central  Europe;  whereas  the  reduction  has  been 
implemented  as  regards  these  countries  as  from  1 July  1995; 

whereas  a  similar  treatment  is  granted  to  imports  originating 
from  Estonia,  Latvia  and  Lithuania  [as  from  1  July  1996]  by 
virtue  of  Council  Regulation  (EC) N° 

(4); 

Whereas it is necessary, in view of the international  obligations 
of  the  Community  under  the WTO,  to ensure  that  imports  from  all 
countries benefit  from the reduced in-quota tariff  rate whenever 
a  reduction  has  been  or will  be  implemented  as  regards  imports 
from  the  associated  countries  in Central  Europe  and  the  Baltic 

States;  whereas  therefore  provision  should  be  made  for  the 
extension  of  such  reduction  to  imports  of  live  bovine  animals 
from  all  countries, 

HAS  ADOPTED  THIS  REGULATION: 

Article  1 

Any  reduction  of  the  import  duty  which  is  payable  under  the 
Community  tariff  quota  for  169.000  head  of  certain  live  bovine 
animals  for  animals  originating  in  Poland,  Hungary,  the  Czech 
Republic,  Slovakia,  Romania  and  Bulgaria  and  in  Estonia,  Latvia 
and  Lithuania  shall  be  extended  to  all  imports  under  that  tariff 
quota,  irrespective  of  the  origin  of  the  animals. 

Article  2 

Detailed  rules  for  the  application  of  this  Regulation  shall  be 
adopted  by  the  Commission  in  accordance  with  the  procedure 
provided  for  in Article  27 of  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  N°  805/68 
on  the  common  market  organization  of  the  market  in beef  and  veal 
(5) . 

Article  3 

This  Regulation  shall  enter  into  force on the  third day  following 
its  publication  in  the  Official  Journal  of  the  European 
Communities.  It  shall  apply  with  effect  from  1  July  1995. 

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

Done  at  Brussels, 

For  the  Council 

the  President 

(1)  OJ  N"  L  223  of  20.09.1995,  p.  29 
(2)  OJ  N°  L  328  of  30.12.1995,  p.  31 
(3)  OJ  N*  L 
(4)  OJ  N*  L 
(5)  OJ  N"  L  148  of  28.6.1968,  p.  24  (as  last  modified  by 

regulation  (EC)  N' 

/96,  OJ  N*  L  ...  of  ....) 

^ 

324  final 

02  11 

Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-96-329-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-05996-X 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg 

S