Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 2793/1999 as regards the adjustment of the tariff quota for wine
Date: 2001-12-11
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, South Africa, tariff quota, trade policy, wine

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 11.12.2001
COM(2001) 762 final

2001/0294(ACC)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL REGULATION

amending Regulation (EC) No 2793/1999 as regards
the adjustment of the tariff quota for wine

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The Commission has presented a proposal to the Council to amend Annex X of the Trade
Development and Co-operation Agreement between the Community and South Africa.
Insofar as that amendment requires a change of the volume of a tariff quota opened by
Regulation (EC) No 2793/1999, it is necessary to amend that regulation accordingly. Such is
the aim of the present proposal.

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Proposal for a

COUNCIL REGULATION

amending Regulation (EC) No 2793/1999 as regards
the adjustment of the tariff quota for wine

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular
Article 133 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal of the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

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By Council Decision 1999/753/EC of 29 July 1999 concerning the provisional
application of the Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation between the
European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of
South Africa, of the other part1, that Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "the
Agreement") has been approved. It has applied provisionally from 1 January 2000.

Annex X to the Agreement contains an exchange of letters between the European
Community and the Republic of South Africa, which provides for an annual duty-free
tariff quota of 32 million litres of South African wine imported in bottles. Article 8 of
Council Regulation (EC) No 2793/1999 of 17 December 1999 on certain procedures
for applying the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement between the
European Community and the Republic of South Africa,2 defers the opening of that
tariff quota for wine until the entry into force of the EC/RSA agreement on wines and
spirits.

The Council has approved, on behalf of the Community, an Agreement on trade in
wines, which shall enter into force on 1 January 2002. Furthermore, the Council has
approved an agreement in the form of an exchange of letters amending the volume of
the tariff quota for wine imported in bottles foreseen in Annex X to the Trade,
Development and Cooperation Agreement.

Regulation (EC) No 2793/1999 should, therefore, be amended accordingly. However,
it should be possible for the Council to reconsider the annual quantities laid down,
where appropriate, should the agreements between the European Community and the
Republic of South Africa on wines and spirits cease to apply and in particular should
those agreements not be approved by the South African Parliament, a procedure
declared necessary by the South African authorities in a letter sent to the Community
on 7 December 2001,

OJ L 311; 4.12.1999, p. 1.
OJ L 337, 30.12.1999, p. 29. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1747/2000, OJ L 200,
8.8.2000, p. 25.

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HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 2793/1999 is amended as follows:

In the fifth column, under the title "Annual tariff quota volume, and annual growth factor",
the entry corresponding to order number 09.1825 is replaced by the following:

"35 300 000 litres

(agf 3%) (4).

(4)

For each year 2002 through 2011 a set volume of 6 720 000 litres will be added to the basic annual
quota volume. The annual growth factor will apply from 2003 to the basic quota volume of 35 300 000
litres only."

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

Article 2

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

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President

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FINANCIAL STATEMENT

The financial consequences of the present proposal are identical with those indicated in the
proposal for a Council Decision on the concluding an agreement between the European
Community and South Africa.

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