Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) extending Regulation (EC) No 3066/95 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 for in the Europa Agreements to take account of the Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations
Date: 1996-11-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, agricultural product, import policy, tariff preference, tariff quota

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  27 11.1996 
COM(96) 612  final 

96/0292  (ACC) 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 

extending  Regulation (EC) No  3066/95  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  for in the Europe Agreements to take account of the Agreement 
on Agriculture  concluded during the Uruguay  Round of multilateral  trade negotiations 

(presented by the Commission) 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

In accordance with its obligations under the Agreement on Agriculture concluded 
during  the  Uruguay  Round  of  multilateral  trade  negotiations,  the  Community 
replaced  variable agricultural  levies and other agricultural  non-tariff  barriers with 
fixed  customs duties from  1 July  1995.  This threatens to reduce the value of the 
agricultural concessions accorded under the Europe Agreements (Hungary, Poland, 
the  Czech  Republic,  the  Slovak  Republic,  Bulgaria  and  Romania),  and  in 
particular  of preferential  access to the Community  market for  certain  agricultural 
products originating in the countries concerned.  In order to smooth the transition 
to the  system applicable  from  1 July  1995 and  maintain  the  level  of  preferences 
accorded,  the  agricultural  concessions  provided  for  in  the  Europe  Agreements 
need  to  be  adjusted. 

At  the  same  time,  Articles  76,  102  and  128  of  the  Act  of  Accession  require 
Austria, Finland and Sweden to apply, from  1 January  1995, the provisions of the 
preferential  agreements  concluded  by  the  Community  with  certain  non-member 
countries,  among  them  Bulgaria,  the  Czech  Republic,  the  Slovak  Republic, 
Hungary,  Poland  and  Romania. 

On  6 March  1995 the  Council  adopted  negotiating  directives  for  the  conclusion 
of  additional  protocols  to  the  Europe  Agreements,  notably  with  regard  to 
agricultural  products.  These negotiating  directives provide  for  the adjustment  of 
the  agricultural  concessions  accorded  under  the  Europe  Agreements,  taking 
account  not  only  of  the  Community's  obligations  under  the  Agreement  on 
Agriculture  concluded  during the Uruguay  Round (see paragraph  1 above) but of 
the  consequences  of  the  Act  of  Accession  of  Austria,  Finland  and  Sweden  (see 
paragraph  2 above). 

Once  these  negotiations  have  been  concluded,  interim  Additional  Protocols 
relating  solely  to  trade  will  be  applied  pending  ratification  of  the  Additional 
Protocols  by  all  the  parties  concerned.  In view  of  the  time  available,  however, 
there  is  no  way  that  the  interim  Additional  Protocols  can  enter  into  force  on 
1 January  1997. 

On  21  December  1995  the  Council  adopted  a  series  of  autonomous  measures 
aimed  at  maintaining  the  level  of  preferences  accorded  under  the  Europe 
Agreements  and  taking  account  of  pre-existing  agricultural  trade  arrangements 
between  the  new  Member  States  and  the  associated  countries  of  Central  and 
Eastern Europe.  These measures applied until 30 June  1996. Pursuant to Council 
Regulation  (EC) No  1194/96, they  were  extended  until  31 December  1996. 

6. 

This proposal  is aimed  at extending  to 31 December  1997 the measures adopted 
by  the  Council  on 21 December  1995. 

i 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EC)  No  ...796 

of 

extending  Regulation  (EC) No  3066/95  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  for  in the  Europe  Agreements  to take  account  of the  Agreement 
on Agriculture  concluded  during  the Uruguay  Round  of  multilateral  trade  negotiations 

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 measures provided  for  in Council Regulation  (EC) No  3066/95  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 for in the Europe Agreements to take account 
of  the  Agreement  on  Agriculture  concluded  during  the  Uruguay  Round  of  multilateral 
trade negotiations  were extended  to 31  December  1996 pursuant  to Council  Regulation 
(EC) No  1194/962; 

Whereas  it was planned  to replace those measures with  interim  Additional  Protocols to 
the Europe  Agreements; whereas, in view of the  lack of time  available, those  Protocols 
cannot enter  into force  on  1 January  1997; whereas Regulation  (EC) No  3066/95  should 
therefore  be  extended  to  31  December  1997, 

HAS ADOPTED  THIS  REGULATION: 

Article 1 

In Article  11 of Regulation (EC) No  3066/95, the second sentence is hereby replaced by 
the  following: 

"It  shall  apply  from  1 January  to  31 December  1997." 

Article 2 

OJ No  L  328, 30.12.1995, p. 31. 
O J N oL  161,26.6.1996,  p. 2. 

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

It shall  apply  from  1 January  1997. 

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 

DATE 

BUDGET  HEADING:  1000 

APPROPRIATIONS:  ECU  864  million 

TITLE:  D r a ft  Council  Regulation (EC) No  ... /..of 
extending  Regulation  (EC) No  3066/95  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  for  in the  Europe  Agreements  lo lake  account  of  the  Agreement  on  Agriculture concluded  during  the  Uruguay 
Round  of  multilateral trade  negotiations 

LEGAL  BASIS:  Article  113 of the Treaty 

AIMS  OF  PROJECT: 

To  extend  Regulation  (EC) No  3066/95  pending the  conclusion  of  interim Additional  Protocols with the Central  and  Eastern  European  countries. 

FINANCIAL  IMPLICATIONS 

PERIOD OF  12 
MONTHS 

CURRENT  FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
(96) 

FOLLOWING 
FINANCIAL  YEAR 
(97) 

5.0. 

EXPENDITURE 

CHARGED TO  THE  EC  BUDGET 
(REFUNDS/INTERVENTION) 
NATIONAL  ADMINISTRATION 
OTHER 

5.1. 

REVENUE 
- OWN  RESOURCES  OF  Till:  EC 
(LEVIES/CUSTOMS  DUTIES) 

-  NATIONAL 

5.0.1 
5.1.1. 

ESTIMATED  EXPENDITURE 
ESTIMATED  REVENUE 

5 2 

METHOD  OF  CALCULATION: 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

Since  it amends  no  quota, this  Regulation  is - pending  the conclusion  of  interim  Protocols  - without  financial  repercussions 

60. 

CAN  THE  PROJECT  BE  FINANCED  FROM  APPROPRIATIONS  ENTERED  IN THE  RELEVANT  CHAPTER  OF  HIE 
CURRENT  BUDGET? 

6.1. 

CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED BY TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS OF THE CURRENT BUDGET? 

62 

6.3. 

IS  A SUPPLEMENTARY  BUDGET  NECESSARY? 

WILL  FUTURE  BUDGET  APPROPRIATIONS  BE  NECESSARY? 

OBSERVATIONS: 

YES/NO 

YES/NO 

YES/MO 

YES/MO 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(96) 612 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

02  03  11 

Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-96-611-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-11870-2 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg