Proposal for a Council Regulation opening an autonomous quota for imports of high-quality beef
Date: 2002-02-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: beef, certificate of origin, import, product quality, tariff quota

C 20 E/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28.1.2003

Proposal for a Council Regulation opening an autonomous quota for imports of high-quality beef

(2003/C 20 E/03)

COM(2002) 94 final — 2002/0050(ACC)

(Submitted by the Commission on 21 February 2002)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

In spite of the difficulties experienced in 2001, the beef market is now on the way to becoming more
stable. Demand of consumers in the Community is increasing specially on high-quality beef.

The Community's interest is developing harmonious trade relations with third countries. Some of them are
classified by the Commission as countries producing high-quality beef. The BSE crisis prevented that some
of these countries benefit from the high-quality beef arrangements. Therefore exports of high-quality beef
are very modest given the application of the full tariff to meat products from these countries.

An additional reduced-tariff-quota on high-quality beef would satisfy at the same time the consumer
interests as well as supplier interests and it would not have a significant impact on the total volume of
beef imports into the Community.

Consequently, the Commission proposes the opening of an autonomous erga omnes tariff quota of 1 000
tonnes of high-quality fresh, chilled or frozen beef at a duty-rate of 20 % ad valorem.

In order to give guaranties of equal and continuous access for all operators concerned in the Community
to the said quota an appropriate monitoring of the quota should be ensured. To this end, the utilisation of
the quota should be based on the presentation of a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing the type and
origin of the products.

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 from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) In view of

the Community's

in developing
harmonious trade relations with third countries, provision
should be made for opening, as an autonomous measure, a
Community import tariff quota of 1 000 tonnes of high-
quality fresh, chilled or frozen beef.

interest

(2) In spite of the difficulties experienced in 2001, the beef
market
is now on the way to becoming more stable.
Demand of consumers in the Community is increasing,
especially for high-quality beef. An additional reduced-

tariff-quota for high-quality beef would satisfy at
the
same time the consumer interests as well as supplier
interests. It would not have a significant impact on the
total volume of beef imports into the Community.

(3) All operators concerned in the Community should be
offered equal and continuous access to that quota. It is
also necessary to insure appropriate monitoring. To this
end, the utilisation of the quota should be based on the
presentation of a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing the
type and origin of the products.

(4) Under Article 32 of Council Regulation (EC) No
1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation
of the market in beef and veal (1), tariff quotas for the
products covered by the present Regulation are to be
administered by the Commission in accordance with
detailed rules adopted under the procedure laid down in
Article 43 of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999,

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 21. Regulation last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2345/2001 (OJ L 315, 1.12.2001,
p. 29).

28.1.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 20 E/11

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 2

Article 1

An annual Community import

1.
tariff quota of 1 000
tonnes, expressed in product weight, of high-quality fresh,
chilled or frozen beef
falling within NC codes 0201 30 00
and 0202 30 90 of the Common Customs Tariff is opened.

The applicable duty for the quota shall be 20 % ad

2.
valorem.

3.

The quota year shall run from 1 July to 30 June.

Detailed rules for the application of this Regulation, adopted in
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 43 of
Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999,
include provisions
making the utilisation of the quota referred to in Article 1
subject to the presentation of a certificate of authenticity guar-
anteeing the type and origin of the products.

shall

Article 3

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

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