Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 2632/97 temporarily suspending some or all of the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on certain fishery products (1998)
Date: 1998-07-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: CCT duties, fish product, fishery product, suspension of customs duties

COMMISSION  OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  10.07.1998 
COM(1998) 430  final 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  (EC) 

amending the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 2632/97 temporarily  suspending 

some or all of the autonomous Common Customs Tariff  duties on certain  fishery 

products (1998) 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

1.  During  the  first  quarter  of  this  year,  the  Commission,  assisted  by  the  Economic 
Tariff  Problems  Group,  reviewed  all  the  requests  for  temporary  suspension  of 
autonomous  Common  Customs  Tariff  duties  presented  to  it  by  the  Member  States, 
including  requests  for  extending suspensions  currently  in  force. 

2.  The attached  proposal  concerns  fishery  products. 

For  industrial  and  agricultural  products,  the  proposal  for  a  Regulation  temporarily 
suspending  the autonomous  Common  Customs Tariff  duties  is before  the  Council. 

3.  Requests  for  suspension  relating  to the  above  products  were  examined  in the  light  of 
the  Commission  concerning 

the  criteria  set  out 
in  the  communication  from 
autonomous  tariff  suspensions  and quotas (see OJ C  128, 25.4.1998, p. 2). 

In  the  light  ol  this  review,  the  Commission  considers  that  the  suspension  of duties  is 
justified  for the products  listed  in the attached  proposal  for  a  Regulation. 

4.  As can  be seen  from  Article  1 of the  above-mentioned  proposal  for  a Regulation,  the 

period  of validity  of the proposed  measure is 5 months. 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EC) No 

/98 

of 

1998 

amending  the  Annex  to Council  Regulation  (EC) No 2632/97  temporarily  suspending 
some or all  of the autonomous  Common  Customs Tariff  duties on certain  fishery 
products  (1998) 

THE COUNCIL  OF THE  EUROPEAN  UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community,  and  in  particular 
Article 28  thereof, 

Having  regard  to the proposal  from  the  Commission, 

Whereas  the  Community  relies  at present  on  imports  from  third  countries  for  supplies  of 
certain  fishery  products;  whereas  it  is  in  the  interest  of  the  Community  to  suspend 
partially  or  totally  the  customs  duties  for  these  products;1  whereas,  in  order  to  avoid 
endangering  the  prospects  for  developing  the  production  of  competitive  products  in  the 
Community  while  ensuring  that  the  industries  concerned  receive  the  necessary  supplies, 
it 
to 
is  advisable 
31  December  1998, 

these  suspension  measures  only 

from  1 August 

to  adopt 

Whereas  it is for the Community  to decide to suspend  these autonomous  duties, 

HAS  ADOPTED THIS  REGULATION: 

Article  / 

1.  From  1 August  to 31  December  1998 the autonomous  Common  Customs  Tariff  duties 
on  "fillets  and  meat  of  Alaska  pollack  (Theragra  chalcogramma), 
in  the  form  of 
industrial  blocks,  frozen,  for  processing  (a) (b)" (Taric codes ex  0304 20  85  10 and  ex 
0304 90 61  10) are hereby  suspended  at the level  of 4%. 

2.  Imports  of  these  products  shall  qualify  for  the  suspension  referred  to  in  paragraph 1 
only  provided  that  the  free-at-frontier  price  laid  down  by  the  Member  States,  in 
(EEC)  No  3759/92  of 
accordance  with  Article 22  of  Council  Regulation 
in  fishery  and 
17 December  1992  on  the  common  organisation  of  the  market 

2 

aquaculture  products,  is  not  lower  than  the  reference  price  fixed  or  to  be  fixed  by  the 
Community  for  the products or categories  of products  in  question. 

OJ No  L 356, 31.12.1997, p.9. 
OJ  No  L  388,  31.12.1992,  p.  1, as  last  amended  by  Regulation  (EEC) No  1891/93  of  12.7.1993  (OJ 
N oL  172,  15.7.1993,  p. 1). 

3 

This Regulation  shall  enter  into force  on  1 August  1998. 

/it  ItCLC  L 

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

Done at 

, 

1998 

For  the  Council 

The  President 

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 

1.  Budget  heading  involved:  Chapter  12 Article  120 

2  Title  of  operation:  Proposal  for  a  Council  Regulation  amending  the  Annex  to 
Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 2632/97  temporarily  suspending  all  or  some  of  the 
autonomous  Common  Customs Tariff  duties on certain  fishery  products  (1998). 

3-  Legal  basis: Article 28 of the EC  Treaty. 

4-  Objective:  Suspension  of the CCT duties  for  the above  products. 

5.  Measures  aimed  at  prevention  and  protection:  Checks  on  the  end-use  of  some  of  the 
products  covered  by  this  Council  Regulation  will  be  carried  out  in  accordance  with 
Articles  291  to  304  of  Commission  Regulation  (EEC)  No  2454/93  laying  down 
provisions  for  the  implementation  of the Community  Customs  Code. 

6.  Cost: 

It  is  proposed  that  autonomous  duties  on  "fillets  and  meat  of  Alaska  pollack 
in  the  form  of  industrial  blocks,  frozen,  for  processing 
(Theragra  chalcogramma), 
(a)  (b)"  (Taric  codes  ex  0304  20  85  10  and  ex  0304  90  61  10)  be  reduced  from 
7.5  % to 4% for the period  1 August-31 December  1998. 

On  the  basis  of  the  most  recent  EUROSTAT  statistics  (1996),  the  additional  loss  of 
revenue  is estimated  at  ECU  2 875 000, a figure  calculated  as  follows: 

1996 imports ( 12 months) 
Forecast  imports  in period  1.8-31.12.1998 
Original  autonomous  duty 
Amended  autonomous  duty 
Additional  loss 

ECU  82  134 000  x (7.5 - 4)/l()0  - 

ECU  197  122 000 
ECU  82  134 000 
7.5% 
4% 
2 875  000 

ECU 

Estimated  cost of the current operation  (1.1.1998-31.12.1998) 

The amount  of duty  foregone  as a result  of the proposed  measure  can be  estimated  at 
ECU  37  498  000  +  2  875 000  =  40  373  000,  compared  with  ECU  38  565  000 
foregone  in respect of the previous measure (1.1.1997 to 31.12.1997). 

ST 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(98) 430  final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

02  03  06 

Catalogue  number  :  CB-CO-98-442-EN-C 

ISBN  92-78-37998-0 

Office  for  Official  Publications  of  the  European  Communities 

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